Porcelainhawke
by bookworm0702
Summary: Always together, eternally apart. That is the curse.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: This is the first fanfiction I have ever actually tried to publish. It is based off of the 1985 film Ladyhawke because I have no imagination of my own. I'm not sure anyone will read this but enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Ladyhawke and I don't even own Glee on dvd**

* * *

There is a hawk flying high in the sky. Soaring as high as possible, the sun turning the chestnut wings to a fiery red.

The hawk heard the sharp whistle of his master and turned into a dive, one of a kind blue eyes focused on the form of the man he would never leave. As soon as the hawk was in his proper place on his arm, his master turned his powerful horse, Dalton, towards a new place. An awful place. The place with the hawks first memory. Aquila.

The master whispered softly to his beautiful bird, "It will be over soon."


	2. Escape

**Authors Note: Just in case there was any confusion, this is a Klaine story, Sam is just a very major character.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing. Nada, zip, zilch.**

* * *

In a dark, dank tunnel that smells like death and other lovely things that Sam would rather not think about, he is slowly digging his way to freedom.

"Impossible, it's truly impossible. No, nothing is impossible. Come on trout! Dig! Dig!" Sam tells himself. If he doesn't succeed, then he will surely die in this sewer. Or worse, be found and hanged with the rest of the criminals.

* * *

Above ground, the captain of the guards, Hunter Clarington, is supervising the routine clearing of the dungeons. Otherwise known as executions.

"Get our next three," he lazily commands from on top of his grand white horse.

Two lower guards, Thad and Trent, make their way into the feared dungeons of Aquila with three dungeon guards in tow. Thad points out an old man who was imprisoned for rape and one of the dungeon guards immediately takes him up to the gallows.

"Two more!" shouts Trent as they go farther into the dungeon.

"I want Samuel Evans," Thad says, consulting his list of prisoners and their crimes.

The guard leads Thad deeper into the dungeons and opens the door while the other takes Trent to a different cell. "This is the cell, sir."

Stepping inside, Thad looked around. "Wrong cell, I want Sam Evens, the one they call the trout— "

"Trout," interrupted a whimsical voice.

"Trout," The same voice says with a laugh. Thad and the guard go further into the cell to look at the insane form of William Schuester. He had been left to rot for so long that he had officially lost his mind. A fitting end to someone who had murdered his wife and unborn child. "The trout, he's no longer about. No trout today, he swum away. To ease the pain, h-he's down the drain." Schuester rhymes, pointing at the drain for emphasis.

Thad, who had very little patience left, drew his sword, and hit it on a beam frighteningly close to Schuester's head.

"Where is he," Thad demanded.

Schuester cowered as he exclaimed, "I already told you gentle lord!"

"Hang him. Search every sewer, every drain! Find him, or Captain Clarington will hang you in his place." Thad told the guard as he dragged away the sniveling form of William Schuester. Thad knelt by the drain. "Impossible," he muttered to himself, "nobody could escape through there."

* * *

The thief known as trout had finally made enough progress to break free of the final wall of mud to get from the drain to the actual sewer.

"It's not unlike escaping mother's womb," Sam said to himself, "God, what a memory.

Bells started to ring. The bells that had never rung before. The ones that signaled the escape of a criminal. Sam heard it from the sewer that he had just fallen into, the guards were all rushing for the horses to seek out the convict, racing through the town in search of a man who was quietly swimming below them. And quickly swimming towards him was a form that looked a bit too much like a creature nobody wanted to encounter in the sewers. Panicking, Sam jumped onto a nearby ledge and prayed.

"Lord, I will never pick another pocket again for as long as I live, I swear it. But here's the problem, if you don't let me live, how can I prove my good faith to you? If you've heard me, this ledge will remain steady as a rock, and that thing coming at me won't be what I think it is. If it is, there'd be no hard feelings, of course. But I'd be very disappointed."

As soon as Sam finished his prayer, the creature turned around and revealed itself to be the skull of a cow.

"I don't believe it," Sam said to himself incredulously, only to look up in shock when he heard what had to be angel's singing. "I believe it." He said as he hopped off the ledge and hurried towards the heavenly sound. He followed the voice to an entrance. Nearly positive that he was about to meet God, he started to climb. "I'm coming," he assured the voice "I'm coming! It's Sam Lord! Sam!"

Sam slowly and tiredly climbed towards the beautiful music. "You won't regret this Lord," he said shakily, "I'm a wonderful person."

He finally made it to the top only to discover that what he thought was a heavenly host was in fact a choir. He had effectively climbed into the drain of the most heavily guarded place in Aquila, the chapel. He decided to catch his breath for a moment before climbing back down and looking for a different way out. Which, of course, was when someone wearing very heavy boots walked over the drain and his fingers. With a yell, he fell back into the sewer water below him.

Under the water, he noticed a gate with a large hole in it. Swimming through, he ended up in the moat outside of Aquila. Finally out.

* * *

The still ringing bells attracted the attention of another man. Someone who knew that they had never rung before. A man covered with a black cloak astride a large black horse. On his arm, a beautiful chestnut Hawke, with blue eyes not found in nature.


	3. The Pub

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing.**

* * *

Captain Clarington was waiting outside of the chapel to give the news to the Bishop. Avoiding eye contact, he said, "There's disturbing news Your Grace. One of the prisoners has escaped."

"No one ever escapes from the dungeons of Aquila, Clarington. The people of this city accept that as a historical fact." Bishop Smythe said. His words were calm, but his nearly monotonous tone held a distinct threat towards whoever had dared let a prisoner escape.

"The responsibility is mine."

"Yes," agreed the Bishop.

"It would be a miracle," Clarington said, "if he managed to get through the sewage system."

"I believe in miracles, Hunter," the Bishop sneered, "It's part of my job." He smirked.

Hunter hesitated before trying to appease the 'man of God' "At any rate, Your Grace, it is only one insignificant, petty, thief."

"Great storms announce themselves with a simple breeze, Captain. And a single spark can ignite the fires of a rebellion," Sebastian sneered at the man.

"If he's out there Your Grace, I shall find him," Hunter vowed.

Bishop Smythe held eye contact with the captain before stating in a voice that held no room for disappointment, "Yes." Before holding his ring out for the captain to kiss.

Immediately following this, Captain Clarington ordered the finest members of the guard to prepare for a manhunt.

"Take ten men towards Chenaye!" he shouted from atop his horse, "We ride North to Gaproche! The name of the man who finds this Evans will be brought to the personal attention of the Bishop! As will the body of the man who lets him get away!" The guards fell out to complete their task.

* * *

As the guards rode away from the menacing form of Aquila, a simple trout was still sneaking in the moat.

Taking a knife and a pouch of money from a guard eating lunch, he started to swim away. "I know I promised Lord, never again. I also know, you know, what a weak-willed person I am."

Once Sam finally felt he was far enough away, he quickly ran towards the woods that bordered Aquila, encouraging himself the entire way." Come on trout! The hard parts over! Come on…"

Sam had made it to a border of the woods and was trying to give himself a nice idea of what he would get when he was safe. "A nice, hot piece of cabbage, just like the kind my mother used to make…maybe," the howling of wolves interrupted his musings, "Wolf! Wolf! Please no wolf. A rack of lamb…where the hell am I? Hot lamb. No sauce with it, at least not that green stuff…if I don't get shoes soon, I'm going to lose a toe in this snow…a nice glass of wine…"

After a full day of traveling, Sam came across a farm with a large sheep pen, and clothes hanging on a line. He opened the gate to the pen and herded the sheep out with a large stick he had to distract the farms owner. While the man went after his errant sheep, he liberated a tunic and a pair of breeches, both in a lovely shade of brown. He walked over to a pair of children sitting next to a pair of boots that would save his toes.

"Hello," Sam greeted the children.

"Hello," they innocently replied.

"Look up there," Sam pointed behind them, and while their backs were turned he took the boots.

"He's taking daddy's shoes" he heard one of the children say.

"You've got it little darlings," he said to himself, not looking back as he walked away.

* * *

Halfway through the day, after changing into his new clothes, Sam came up upon an Inn with an outdoor pub and stopped to get himself some food. He didn't know that he was being followed by a man on a black horse, wearing a black cloak, and holding a beautiful hawk on one arm.

"Innkeeper," he called out in a friendly manner, "a glass of your most expensive."

"Yeah, yeah, show me your money," said the innkeeper, a strong looking man with an odd strip of hair going down the center of his head.

Sam shook the bag of coin he had taken from the guard, "copper, my friend," he said at the satisfying jingle it made. "And the same to any man who will join me in a toast!" he proudly shouted to the people sitting at the tables.

"Let's hear your toast," a man whose face was hidden behind a cloak said.

"We drink to a special man, my friend," Sam started, "Someone who has seen the dungeons of Aquila and lived to tell the tale."

"Then you drink to me," the same man stated," I too have seen those dungeons."

Sam's large mouth twisted into a proud smirk as he started to walk towards the man, "A blacksmith perhaps. A carpenter. A stonecutter, even. But a prisoner from inside Aquila?"

The man shifted part of his cloak to reveal a helmet sitting on the table. "I didn't say I was a prisoner." The man and his companions stood and removed their cloaks, showing themselves to be none other than Captain Hunter Clarington, Thad and Trent. "If you'd stuck to the woods, you may have stood a chance Evans."

"You're right," Sam agreed, backing away from the approaching guards who were swiftly being joined by the others.

"Get him," Hunter said lazily, before turning back to his meal. However, as soon as one of the other guards made to grab him, Sam threw his drink into his face, and while the guard was distracted, slipped under a table.

The guards followed and flipped the table over but the thief was nowhere to be seen. The guards started to throw people from the pub and Trent noticed a cloaked figure sitting at a table who was not budging. "You, I said out." He said pulling the cloak off to reveal none other than Sam Evans who jumped up from the table, and kicked Trent in the chest. A guard who had kept his cloak on grabbed him from behind and held his arms but the slippery trout ducked out of his hold and crawled under the legs of another two guards coming at him. He snuck his way under the floor all the while Hunter was watching and rolling his eyes at his guards' incompetence.

Sam climbed out of the other side of the floor and climbed onto the open canopy covering the pub. The guards started thrusting their swords through the openings while Sam frantically hopped out of the way as best he could. One guard was climbing onto the canopy as Sam passed and simply shoved him off of it. He made the mistake of reaching the edge of the canopy and tried to turn back only to see that the guards had herded him into a trap. Hunter gave a slow clap at the entertaining performance and motioned to Sam to come down.

Not seeing any alternative, he jumped down, only to have Thad grab onto his blond hair to keep him from slipping away again. He pulled away and tried to run only to have someone grab onto his arm. He grabbed a knife from the guard holding him and swung around to try and dislodge him. The knife spun with him and cut the Captain across his handsome face, narrowly missing his eye.

"I'm so terribly sorry," Sam said, terrified over what might happen to him over this new crime.

Hunter brushed his pinky finger over the cut and pulled his hand away to see blood.

"Kill him." He ordered.

Two of the guards grabbed his arms and dragged him over to a nearby post. Thad approached and held his sword to the terrified thief's throat. He pulled away and prepared to deal a final blow.


	4. Blaine Anderson

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

Sam closed his eyes and turned away as he cried out "May God have mercy on my soul!"

However, because he had turned away, he missed the arrow that flew from the crossbow and embedded itself into the arm that Thad was about to use to decapitate the thief. Everybody who remained in the pub turned to see a man standing at an entrance. He was dressed entirely in black, from the cape over his shoulders, to his boots. Even the crossbow he was holding was black. He even had a mess of black curls on top of his head. The only color he had was the dark silver armor on one arm and the blood red lining inside of the cape. Though he was an inch or two shorter than the average man, he had obvious strength and a presence that dared you to mess with him. His amber eyes were focused on Sam underneath his oddly shaped eyebrows.

As he slowly came a little farther into the pub, a guard shot at him with a crossbow that was embedded into the post next to the strange man's head. Without missing a beat, the newcomer shot the guard in the heart before turning back to Sam.

"You. Out." He said calmly and in a way that left no room for argument. The guards didn't resist as Sam pulled away and walked slowly over to the entrance. The man handed him the crossbow and pulled out his sword as Sam walked away.

Hunter, though surprised at this unexpected visitor, pulled himself up and sauntered towards the man.

"One of my men told me you returned," he said "I wanted to cut his throat for lying, because I _knew_ you weren't that stupid."

The man blocked his sword against one of the guards, who pulled it away and looked at the man with a dawning recognition. "Captain Anderson," he said in a fond voice.

"Wesley," Anderson responded with a slight smile. As he started to lower his sword, Hunter came up behind Wesley and pushed him onto Anderson's sword, which had lowered to the level of Wesley's heart.

He was shocked as he lowered the body of his old friend and looked up at his true killer. "You bastard!" He exclaims as he rears up and punches Hunter across his face, knocking him into Trent who was standing behind him.

As the two fall to the ground, another guard approaches with his sword drawn, ready to attack. Blaine backs away towards the bar and picks up a small pile of horse shoes that had been left in preparation for a trip to the blacksmith. He threw them at the guard's face, forcing him down, before responding to another threat with a swift kick to his jaw. Another is dispatched with a painful blow across the spine with his armored arm.

Trent finally helps Hunter back onto a seat before approaching Blaine. Blaine picks up a large, thick stick that had been left smoldering in the fire and uses it for defense. He throws Trent off balance and hits him over the back, causing him to fall.

As Blaine reaches Hunter, he grabs the man at the nape of his neck, turns him towards the fire and just looks. Not wasting any more time on the pathetic man he was holding, he threw him backward so he landed in the fire. As the guards rush to put out their captain, Blaine calmly walks back to Wesley's body. After allowing himself a second to mourn, he pulls his sword out of his friend grabs the crossbow the thief had apparently abandoned and runs back to his horse. Leaving behind Hunter's enraged yell of "Anderson!"

Meanwhile, Sam had come across the horses of the guards and tried to take one, but the willful creatures refused to let him mount them despite his attempts at convincing them. "Don't be afraid, I'm a wonderful person. You loving, sweet…you filthy strumpets!" He finally gives up after accidentally releasing half of the creatures and just decides to try his luck on foot.

He hurries down the road and hears a horse coming up behind him. Turning his head, he sees the man who had saved him bearing down on him on a magnificent black stallion. "No, no, no, no ahh!" he shrieks as the man grabs him by the nape of his shirt and he is lifted onto the horse by one powerful arm and forced onto his stomach in front of the saddle. Sam had been in prison for quite a while and poor for even longer, and as a result, he was skinny and almost lanky. But he was still a full-grown man, and somebody who could lift him with one arm made him very nervous.

Sam could do nothing but pray as the horse rushed towards the last gate before the woods. A guard closed it, but with the gate only being three feet tall, the man jumped it and hit the guard on the head before riding off. Two of the guards that had been following on horseback came up to the gate, but before they could open it, a large chestnut hawk came dangerously close to their heads, forcing them to jump out of the way, and subsequently, off their horses to avoid the dangerous talons.

* * *

After they had been riding for a little while and Blaine was sure that they were not being followed, he allowed Sam to ride behind him on the saddle. As Sam was getting comfortable, the hawk approached and perched comfortably on Blaine's arm.

"Beautiful bird," Sam said as an awkward attempt to start a conversation. It failed. "What is your name?" he tried next, "Mine's Sam, Sam I am, I'm not overly fond of ham, but I love some lamb. Some people call me trout. There were even a couple of women I knew before I was arrested who wrote an entire song about it, would you like to hear—"

"My name is Blaine Anderson. Now will you please stop talking." That effectively stopped all attempts at conversation until they came upon a cabin.

"Must be somebodies home. There's smoke," Sam said as they neared the decrepit house. "Are you sure you don't want to ride on, sir? There's still plenty of light."

"Stop your chattering. We'll spend the night here." Blaine's tone was final.

A short brunette woman who had witnessed their approach went running towards a man, presumably her husband, shrieking at a rather impressive volume.

"Good afternoon sir, lady" Blaine began in a pleasant tone "my comrade in arms and I need lodging for the night."

The man shook his head as the woman cowered behind him. "No, no place for you here."

"We'll pay for it, of course," Blaine said.

"We are not above compassion for those in misery," Sam said shaking his bag of coin at the farmer.

"Jesse, no," the woman said to her husband.

"Be quiet Rachel," he demanded before motioning towards the barn. "You can sleep in there."

"Thank you," Blaine said politely, turning the horse towards the barn.

After getting comfortable in a stall as Sam claimed the loft, Blaine knelt before his saddlebag and reverently pulled out a helmet filled with a fine blue tunic. As he was pulling out the garment, he heard the loud footsteps signaling his companion, as well as the call of "Sir"

"Sir, are you there?" Sam asked as he tried to look inside of the stall. Blaine came up to the door before he could see anything, "If there's nothing else I can do, I think I'll turn in," he said.

"You can take care of my horse."

"Alright."

"And sleep with one eye open. And don't disturb me; I'm liable to take your head off before I know it's you," Blaine said following Sam to the magnificent animal.

"Come on ole' boy," Sam said, trying to lead the horse away but he stubbornly refused. "Come on. Stubborn little fellow, isn't he? What's his name?"

" _Her_ name, is Beast."

"Beast?"

"Someone once told me that names and other important things have no gender. It stuck with her. It's fitting I believe."

"It most certainly is, I couldn't imagine a better name for a strong woman."

Rolling his eyes, Blaine addressed Beast, "Go with him girl, he didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

As Sam walked away, chatting with the horse the entire time, Blaine retreated back into his stall. Picking up the tunic, he remembers. The sight of the blue against pure, porcelain skin, the effect it had on the glasz eyes. He put the soft fabric up to his face and inhaled the sweet scent of vanilla and lavender.

Before long, he sees the shadows on the wall lengthen, and he turns to a nearby opening in the barn to see a definite sunset. In a broken voice he vows, "One day."


	5. The Wolf

**Disclaimer: In the words of Whitney Houston (who I also don't own); I have nothing! Nothing! Nothing!**

* * *

Sam was in the woods gathering sticks for the fire. After he had finished taking care of Beast, Blaine had told him to get some firewood.

"Comrade in arms," he said sarcastically, "slave's more like it. See to the fire, care for the animals, gather the wood. Look at me Lord. I was better off in the dungeons of Aquila." He was starting to feel a little angry, and a lot bitter. "My cellmate was insane…and a murderer. But he respected me. He's a strange one, Anderson. Why did he save my life? He wants something from me. I can see it in his eyes. Well," he said proudly, dropping the sticks, and walking farther away from the farm, "whatever it is I'm not going to do it. I'm still a young man you know! I've got prospects! I'm off to find my golden future captain, so goodbye and good—"

He was cut off by the sound of sticks cracking close by. He cautiously turned his head to see if he could spot whatever was making the noise when he heard the sound again, closer than it was before along with a growl, causing him to turn around and try to see this new threat.

"Hello," he called hesitantly, not expecting, or really wanting an answer. He waited a couple of seconds before slowly starting back for the barn. A mysterious man with a hidden agenda is always a better option than something lurking in the woods. He heard another noise and thought fast.

"Who do you think's out there? You'd better draw your sword Michael. Ah! Ryder, you brought your crossbow. We'll _all_ go back to the barn now. Alright?" He changed his tone to sound like different people were agreeing with him. The growling started again, but this time Sam started to run. "Show no mercy Michael, we're not interested in prisoners! Hold your ground Ryder! I'll go get some help!" He ran back to the barn, slipping down a hill to get there faster.

He finally felt safe enough to take a breath, but he didn't see Jesse coming up behind him with his ax. Jesse and Rachel were some very ambitious people and they were planning to kill both Sam and Blaine for the bag of coin and whatever was in the saddlebags. Sam started for the barn again just in time to see Jesse behind him with the ax raised above his head. Screaming, he started to run, but tripped when he heard Jesse scream. A large black wolf had come from the woods nearby and tackled Jesse to the ground ripping out his throat. The screams didn't last very long.

Sam looked on in horror before jumping up and racing into the barn. "Captain! Sir! Captain! Sir, sir, sir." He frantically knocked on the door of the stable before pushing the door open and running in, only to find the stall completely devoid of life. "Wolf! Wolf! Sir!" Sam gave up and grabbed Blaine's crossbow. He ran towards a fence at the front of the barn and prepared to shoot.

He was lining up his shot when a pale hand reached over his shoulder and grabbed the arrow he had placed in the crossbow. Turning around in shock, he saw a beautiful man standing behind him. Sam was only attracted to women, but you would need to be blind not to see the beauty in this man. He was covered with a black cape, but Sam could still see his face. His features were elegant, but undeniably masculine and his eyes were truly captivating. Sam tried to speak, but was shushed by the creature in front of him. He peered through the fence before moving over to the entrance.

"Don't go out there! Don't go out there! There's a wolf! A big one! The biggest wolf you've ever seen. And a dead man." Sam tried to warn, but was met with a hand in front of his face.

"I know," the man said quietly, his voice high pitched and as beautiful as the rest of him. He kept his eyes focused completely on the wolf and started towards it, ignoring Sam's pleas for him to come back to the relative safety of the barn. He could only watch, baffled, as he walked to the wolf as calmly as if he were going to see an old friend.

"Maybe I'm dreaming? But my eyes are open, which means…maybe I'm awake dreaming I'm asleep. Or more likely, maybe I'm asleep, dreaming I'm awake, wondering if I'm dreaming," Sam wondered to himself. The pale man's voice called over to him.

"You are dreaming." Sam didn't wait for any more clarity before he scurried up the ladder to the loft and looked out to the man, who was approached by the wolf. The man gave the wolf a soft pet and the two started to walk out into the woods. Sam couldn't wrap his head around what he had just seen and pulled himself away from the window.

"I did not see what I have seen. I do not believe what I believe Lord. These are magical, unexplainable matters, and I beg you not to make me a part of it," Sam pleaded to God, before entering a restless sleep, and trying to convince himself it was all just a dream.

The next day, Sam and Blaine were walking in the woods, with Sam still on edge from last night's strange happenings. It was a miserable day, the sky promising a storm and the terrain too rough to ride Beast. Blaine was walking ahead, with his ever-present hawk on his arm while Sam was leading the horse.

"We'll stop here," Blaine said, "it's not a good day for traveling." He sat down and leaned against a tree.

"Come on ole' boy. I mean girl, come on ole' girl, Beast," Sam said to Beast as he led her over to a tree to tie her off before following Blaine's lead and resting against a tree. "I could do with some rest myself after dealing with last night's goings on. The wolf could have killed me, it was horrible… but he tore the farmer's throat out and left me alone…" He had told Blaine about the wolf that morning, but had left out the strange man who seemed to know it. "There was more, there was a man. Like fine porcelain, with deep blue eyes, almost like a bird's. And his voice," Blaine looked up at him at that, "the dulcet tone of an angel."

"He spoke?" Blaine asked. He needed to know about this. "What did he say?"

Sam was surprised by Blaine's interest but told him, "I asked him if I was dreaming, and he said I was." Blaine made a noise that Sam took for a grunt of disbelief and became angry, "I'm not insane! You must believe me when I tell you these things!"

"No, I believe you," Blaine calmly assured Sam, "I believe in dreams."

Sam still thought Blaine was making fun of him and petulantly said, "I see."

"This man, did he perhaps have a name?"

"Not that he mentioned, why?"

"Well, he might wander into my dreams. Wouldn't it be nice, if I could call him by name and pretend we'd met before? I-I've waited a long time for such a man. I've been looking for him forever. Now get some sleep." Blaine pulled his hood over his face. The reverent way he had been speaking had vanished. The moment of vulnerability gone. "The bird will alert us if anyone comes."

Sam was shocked at the display of emotion from the otherwise stoic man. "I've got to be out of my mind, out of my mind."

* * *

Hunter pushed his horse as fast as it could go back to Aquila to give the news of Andersons return to the Bishop. He found him in the private gardens. The Bishop was enjoying a performance of Chinese dancers when the music suddenly stopped.

Without turning around, he said, "Have you found the prisoner Evens?"

Hunter hesitantly told Sebastian, "He is not in custody at this time."

"Then why do you invade my garden, unwashed, unshaved? Do you think to find him here?" Sebastian asked, whirling around to face the Captain.

"Anderson has returned," Hunter said, deciding it was best to just throw it out in the open.

The Bishop stared at him for a few minutes, daring him to be serious. Hunter didn't recant.

"Walk with me," the Bishop said, dismissing the performers and going to the path.

"The criminal," Hunter began, "travels with him. My men are combing the woods—"

"And the hawk?" Sebastian interrupts, "There must be a hawk. A spirited hawk. This hawk is not to be harmed; the day he dies a new captain of the guard will preside at your execution is that understood?" After he had his acknowledgement, Bishop Smythe shifted the conversation, "We live in difficult times Clarington, this famine has prevented people from paying their proper tribute to the church. I raise their taxes only to be told there is nothing left to tax, imagine that. But last night the Lord Almighty visited me in my sleep. He told me that Satan's messenger is traveling amongst us, and that his name is Blaine Anderson. Go. To break faith with me is to break faith with Him." Hunter kissed the Bishops ring and left as Sebastian turned towards another guard, "Get me Karofsky!" he demanded.

* * *

Back in the woods, Sam was chopping wood with Blaine's sword. He had found some good sticks that just needed to be chopped a little bit. He was enjoying getting some physical work done, and was even whistling. He was just about to bring the sword down when someone behind him grabbed it.

"Hey!" he shouted. He turned around to see Blaine holding the sword and not looking very happy about what Sam had been doing with it.

"This sword," he began, "has been in my family for five generations. It has never known defeat. Until now." He showed Sam the fine jewels on the hilt, "This jewel; represents my family name. This one, is our alliance with the Holy Church in Rome. This one was my father's, from the Crusades," he says as he points out a large ruby lying dead center. He looks both proud and sad as he looks at it. He turns the sword over to reveal an empty spot in the center. "This one—"

"Sir you don't think that I took that one—"

"No," Blaine interrupts, "this one was supposed to belong to my brother. But he had no interest in becoming a soldier and last I was aware, he was working as a bard. This is mine to fill. Each generation is called upon to follow his own quest."

"And what is your quest?" Sam asks, hoping to finally get a clue as to what this man wants from him.

Blaine turns away, "I must kill a man."

"Tell me, does this walking corpse have a name?" Sam says lightheartedly, mainly hoping that name would not be Samuel Evens, sometimes known as trout.

Blaine looks at Sam and says with a deadly determination, "Sebastian Smythe, His Grace, the Bishop of Aquila."

"The bishop. I see. Well, well then you have much to do. And I've already been enough of a burden to you. I do hope our paths cross again one day." Sam gives a mock salute and begins to walk away.

"I need you to guide me into the city," Blaine calls out, effectively stopping Sam in his tracks.

"Not for the life of my mother…even if I knew who she was." Sam's voice is adamant. He'd only just broken out of the city. There was no way in Hell he was going back there.

"You're the only one who has ever escaped from there."

"It was chance. Pure chance! A miracle! Once in a lifetime! I fell down a hole and followed my nose."

Blaine scoffed in disbelief, "I have waited, almost two years for a sign from God. So when I heard those warning bells of Aquila, I knew the moment of my destiny had come. You will be my guiding angel." He says the last part almost mocking.

"Me?" he asks shocked only to receive a nod in response. "Sir the truth is I talk to God all the time, and no offence but he never mentioned you. There are strange forces at work in your life. Magical ones that surround you. I don't understand them but they frighten me. You have given me my life; the truth is I can never repay you. I have no honor, I never have. I don't think you would kill me for being what I am, _but_ better that then to return to Aquila," Sam finishes adamantly. He turns and starts to walk away only to have a familiar sword slam into the tree right next to his shoulder…he didn't even know people could throw swords. Maybe death isn't the better option. "I'll gather some wood for the fire," and he proceeds to do just that.


	6. The Hawk

**Author's note: warnings for a major character injury and the injury of an animal. There is also blood for you squeamish folks.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own a thing.**

* * *

Under the bright light of the moon, a pale man is chasing a rabbit. He had been hunting it for the better part of an hour and was starting to feel frustrated. He finally corners it in a bush, only to have a timid, "Sir," scare the creature away. The young man startled and looked around for the source of the voice that had scared away his dinner.

"Up here," the voice called. He turned up towards a tree and saw Sam, tied up and frustrated. "Do you remember me?"

He didn't bother to answer the question, he merely asked, "What are you doing up there?"

"Uh…the Bishop's guards! A dozen of them, we had a terrible fight."

The pale man raised an incredulous eyebrow of disbelief, "Why didn't they kill you?"

"Good question…I asked them that myself."

"And?"

"And?!"

Holding back a snicker, the man clarified, "And what did they say?"

"They said…they said that they prefer to leave that honor to the bishop."

The beautiful man smirked, "Of course they did."

"They're coming back," Sam said, starting to sound a little desperate.

"Oh, they are, are they?"

"Please, good Sir? A giant owl examined me quite closely not one minute ago."

The man shrugged, and rolling his eyes, cut Sam's ties. A long, mournful cry of a wolf tore through the night. The pale stranger turned towards it in recognition. He turned back to Sam to see if he had heard it only to find he had run off.

"Thank you very much, good Sir!" he heard Sam yell back at him, "Tell the captain he ties a wicked knot!"

The man groaned and leaned into a tree. "He's gonna kill me."

* * *

The next morning the hawk flew to his master's outstretched arm. "Good morning," the man said in response to the hawks shrieked greeting. "Let's go find Sam."

The man in question was currently on a bluff overlooking a small camp of guards. Backing away to avoid being seen, he backed straight into Trent, who grabbed him by the arm and dragged him back to the camp.

"Well, well," Thad said, mockingly civil, as he emerged from his tent. He had taken over the search while Captain Clarington was reporting back to Bishop Smyth. "You're a long way from the sewers little fish. This time the drinks are on me," grabbing Sam by the collar of his shirt and losing all false friendliness in his tone, he demanded, "Where's Anderson?"

"Anderson, Anderson? Oh, Blaine Anderson! Yes, strong man, little short, black horse? Uhm, I saw him riding South; toward Aquila." Sam said.

A guard standing behind Thad scoffed, "Then we ride North, Sir."

Sam felt a little insulted, "It's not polite to assume someone is a liar when you've only just met them."

"Yet you knew we would," Thad said with a snicker, "We ride South."

As the guard who was holding Sam started to drag him to his horse, Sam looked up at the sky with indignation, "I told the truth, Lord! How can I learn any moral lessons if you keep confusing me like this!?"

* * *

Blaine entered an area of farmland with some very large haybales. He had been searching for Sam when the tracks he had been following turned into multiple tracks and hoofprints, so when he came across these haybales, he was prepared for a trap. The guards were lying in wait and preparing their weapons, when Sam maneuvered his tied hands over his head and bit the guard who was in front of him, making him scream. Blaine heard the yell, and knowing a fight was about to happen, sent his bird into the sky for safety.

Blaine grabbed his crossbow as the guards gave up on the element of surprise and came from behind the hay, shooting the first two in the heart before hitting one that came too close in the face, knocking him off his horse. Sam saw two other guards about to shoot and hit the closest one in the face with a rock. The shock caused him to slip and he shot his arrow into the sky, hitting the hawk between the breast and the top joint of his wing, narrowly missing the heart while the arrow from the other guard hit Blaine in the chest near the shoulder, barely missing the heart. A pained cry rang out as the hawk fell to the earth, wings splayed to slow his descent.

"Hawk!" Blaine cried out as he saw him fall to the ground, "No," He whispered so quietly it was impossible for anyone else to distinguish. He pulled the arrow from his shoulder as the man who had shot the hawk came up to him with his sword drawn. Not sparing a second thought, he stabbed the arrow into the guard's stomach. Blaine drew his sword and started Beast in a gallop, chasing the only surviving guard away, and changing course to where his bird fallen bird lay in the grass.

Sam watched as Blaine cautiously approached the injured creature and gently spoke words of comfort to him. Blaine looked around helplessly, spotting Sam, as blood weakly poured from the torn skin around the arrow, "Get me a piece of cloth from my saddlebag," he demanded, voice shaking.

Sam hurried to do so, feeling like an intruder as Blaine wrapped the creature with heartbreaking gentleness, trying his hardest not to jostle his injury. Blaine carefully picked up his hawk and advanced on Sam.

"Find help."

"Me?" Sam couldn't believe that Blaine would trust him with his beloved bird.

"You're the only one I have," he said desperately.

"But sir, the poor thing is done for—"

"Don't say that!" Blaine cried, voice hoarse. He looked out into the distance and seemed to decide on something. "Follow that trail, you'll find a ruined castle. There's a monk named Finn. Give him the hawk, he'll know what to do."

"I don't think you understand—"

Blaine wasn't listening to any argument, "Get on my horse," he demanded in a voice that would not take no for an answer.

"You're the only one who can ride her!" Sam was getting desperate.

Leaning in, Blaine's voice took on an almost wolfish growl. "You will do what I tell you. Get on my horse, _now!"_

Sam cautiously mounted Beast. Blaine gently handed him the hawk with a warning to be careful.

"Know this; if you fail, I will follow you the length of my days…and I will find you. Go!" And with this final warning, Sam rode off towards the ruined castle.

* * *

Sunset was fast approaching by the time Sam was finally able to see the castle.

"Ah, there, you see? We'll be there in no time," Sam told the bird. He put a hand towards the face of the injured hawk to pet him, but all he got for his troubles was a painful bite on his finger. "Ow! That's gratitude for you! Let this Finn fellow watch you die. I've got my own life to live," and with that, he pointed Beast to the castle.

"Hello!" he called when he came upon the entrance. "Hello up there!" there was no reply, "For pity's sake, hello!" he was starting to believe that the castle was as abandoned as it looked when he heard a grumbling voice reply;

"Hello! Hello! What do you want down there?" a head appeared from the top of the castle to reveal a surprisingly young man who Sam guessed was Finn. He couldn't be more than ten years older than Sam himself.

"I've been told to bring you this bird! It's been wounded!" he yelled up at the man.

"Oh, good shot! Bring it in, we'll dine together!" the monk offered.

"We can't eat this bird!"

"Oh God, is it Lent again already!?"

 _What kind of monk is this?_ Sam wondered. "This is no ordinary hawk, father. It belongs to a man named Blaine Anderson!" Even with the distance separating Sam from father Finn, he could see the recognition and shock on his face.

"Mother of God," Finn muttered to himself, "Bring him in! Bring him in quickly!" he shouted before racing to lower the decrepit drawbridge.

"Up here, up here boy! Hurry! Hurry!" there was a growing urgency in his voice that pushed Sam to walk faster until he reached the, surprisingly, very tall monk standing in front of the bridge. Finn looked down at the weak hawk still cradled in Sam's arms and felt a wave of guilt rush over him. He shook it off and led Sam to the drawbridge.

"Stay on the left side, you'll go right through the wood before you make it across."

Finn led Sam into the castle where there was a small living area set up in what might have been the great hall once upon a time. He motioned to a bed set up in front of a warm fire.

"There," he said softly, "gently, gently." Sam laid the bird down with more care than he even knew he had and stood up. "Now leave us," came the gruff voice of Finn.

"Can't I help?"

"Go out boy," Finn growled out. Sam backed away from the imposing monk and left the hall. Finn crouched by the injured bird, "Don't be frightened, little brother. Blaine was right. I know what to do," he looked towards the setting sun. "But we must wait a little."

Finn left the hall a couple of minutes before the sun set, putting a secure padlock on the door. He was positive that the whelp who brought the bird to him didn't know the truth behind it and he wasn't about to be the reason he found out this secret. He went towards his pantry, thinking of the supplies he was going to need to save this creature. As he left, he didn't notice the ladder swing down behind him. Sam hopped off and went to pick the lock. The sun had set completely by the time he finally had it unlocked. He entered the hall, expecting to see if the bird was okay.

The beautiful man from before was lying on the bed where the hawk had been, an arrow sticking out of his chest between the shoulder and the heart.

He was covered with a fur blanket and his chestnut hair was in disarray, but he was still as beautiful as ever. And, Sam blushed to notice, his only covering was the fur. He turned back to the door to give the man some privacy, when his delicate voice rang out, rough with exhaustion and pain.

"Blaine, is he…" Sam could hear the unasked question.

"He's fine. He's just fine good Sir," Sam said, then, in the hopes of offering comfort, continued to explain what had happened, with a slight exaggeration. "There was a terrible battle. Blaine fought like a lion. The hawk...the hawk was struck. But you know that, don't you?"

"Yes," came the quiet reply from the pale beauty.

Sam came closer to the ethereal creature. He desperately wanted to understand. "Are you flesh? Or Spirit?" He asked.

The man looked at him with sad blue eyes. After a brief pause he said, "I am sorrow."

Sam didn't know what to make of that, and hurried back to the door. Finn chose that moment to come back in with his supplies and looked in shock at Sam. "How did you…" he broke off when he noticed the man lying on the bed. The young man he hadn't seen in nearly two years. He hesitantly approached with that look of guilt and sadness that had been there before, almost as if he didn't know if he would be welcome at his bedside, even for healing purposes. Sam followed only to be thrown out. "And this time, stay out," he said. He would not forgive the intrusion a second time.

Finn quickly mixed his herbs, thankful for the training in healing every monk needed to go through. He made up a salve to fight infection and stem blood flow. When it was complete, he walked back to the man who he had once considered a brother. When the salve was properly rubbed into the area around the wound, he hesitated. He started to pull his hand away when it was caught by a smoother, smaller hand and led back to the arrow sticking out of his chest. Finn went to cover those blue eyes when his hand was once again pulled away. The pale man gripped Finn's shoulder and nodded for him to continue.

After a moment of hesitation, he ripped the arrow out of the chest of the young man. The pale beauty's body arched as he let out a scream that pierced the night. In the distance, Sam looked up in fright, the Bishop woke from a nightmare with a pain in his chest. And the mournful howl of a great wolf echoed through the sky.


	7. The Past

**Author's note: If you don't like flashbacks, feel free to skip the italics.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

In a lavish bedchamber in Aquila, Sebastian was forced awake from his nightmare by the combination of a piercing pain in his chest near his left shoulder and his door being opened by one of his personal guards.

"Forgive me, Your Grace, Karofsky has arrived," the guard stepped aside as an imposing figure, covered in wolf pelts darkened the doorway. He pulled back his hood to reveal short cropped hair and eyes that were nearly manic. He gave an eerie grin and waited for the Bishop to speak.

* * *

It had been nearly an hour since Finn had pulled the arrow out of the man's chest. Neither of them said a word as they listened to a worried howl in the distance until, finally, Sam couldn't take it anymore.

"It's him, isn't it? Somehow it's him."

Finn shook his head and raised his glass to his mouth, "Drink, forget."

Sam wasn't going to let him get away with his deflection, "An hour ago, you were drunk. And you remembered."

Finn gave up trying to deter this man. He had obviously seen things and he needed an explanation. "What do they call you boy?"

"Sam Evans."

"His name," the father said, motioning to the hall, "is Kurt Hummel. His father was Burt Hummel, a kind man. He was very wise and a good friend of my mother. He died of a sickness of the heart, a good three years ago. He came to live with my mother, in Aquila. I shall never forget the first time I saw him. It was like looking at…" he didn't know if there was any way to describe it.

"The face of love," Sam finished.

"Ah, you too," Finn said knowingly, "well I suppose we were all in love with him in different ways. I love him as my brother. Nearly everyone loves him as a friend. He captured the hearts of Aquila as soon as he rode in. But even His Grace the Bishop could think of nothing else."

"The Bishop loved him!?" Sam asked incredulously.

"As near as that evil man could come to love," Finn growled out angrily, tossing a stick into the fire. "His passion was like a madness, he was a man possessed! But Kurt sensed his wickedness and he shrank from him. He sent back all of his letters unanswered, his poems and songs unread. He detested that man from their first meeting."

* * *

 _Kurt had been in Aquila for nearly a month when Carole decided he needed to attend Chapel._

 _"_ _Kurt, you must come. It would be considered as a personal slight to the Bishop if you continue to refuse to attend his sermons," she cajoled "I know you don't believe in a higher power, but please come. If only for me."_

 _"_ _Only as a thanks for the kindness you've shown me," Kurt gave in. The woman had given so much and had taken him into her home. This was the only thing she asked of him and it would not be fair to deny her._

 _As soon as he was introduced to His Grace, the Bishop Smythe, he regretted his decision. The Bishop made a habit of greeting his parishioners as a way of making it seem like he cared. He was approaching the widowed mother of one of his Priests when he noticed the delicate young man standing next to her, looking around the Chapel in awe. He was, at least, twenty years younger than the Bishop, but that didn't stop him from giving a slow appraisal. From his long shapely legs, to his soft looking chestnut coif, this boy was perfection, and would look quite lovely in his bed. He looked him over once more to meet stunning blue eyes that had clearly noticed and did not appreciate Sebastian's interest._

 _He merely smirked as he walked over to them._

 _"_ _Dowager Hudson," he said slimily to the widow, "Who might this charming young man be?"_

 _"_ _This is my ward Kurt. His father passed just two months ago, and I have been taking care of him since," Carole said, pleased that her ward had caught the attention of the most powerful man in the city._

 _"_ _Enchanted," The bishop said, taking Kurt's hand and placing a kiss on it. He was sure to let his cool lips linger, and let his tongue slip out to taste the smooth skin below them. He felt the hand tense and dragged his finger across the palm, slowly before releasing._

 _Sebastian pretended not to notice Kurt wiping his hand on his trousers._

 _"_ _I'm pleased to make your acquaintance, Your Grace," Kurt lied gracefully._

 _"_ _Likewise, I hope I will see you in my chapel more often. I beg your pardon, but I simply must begin the sermon." The Bishop walked away as Kurt silently slipped out of the Chapel. He felt an urgent need to clean his hands._

* * *

"The Bishop never had a chance. Kurt never felt comfortable around him from the moment they first met. And besides, his heart was already lost, you see. To the Captain of the Guard."

"Blaine Anderson," Sam said with growing revelation.

"From the moment they met. They belonged together."

* * *

 _Kurt was lost. There was no other way to say it. He had accompanied his new guardian, Carole, to the Chapel and had decided to look around. The architecture was beautiful, even if the Bishop left something to be desired. Kurt could still feel his chapped lips as they dragged across his skin, leaving an unpleasant trail of goosebumps behind them._

 _He was making his way down a flight of stairs, when a guard dressed all in black started to pass him. Not one to waste an opportunity, he stopped him._

 _"_ _Excuse me," the guard turned around to reveal a very handsome face that looked a little awed. "Can I ask you a question? I'm new around here."_

 _The guard regained his composure, and with a small smile on his face, reached out a hand, "My name's Captain Blaine Anderson."_

 _Kurt offered his own hand and blushed when it received a gentle, and almost reverent kiss, this was much more pleasant than the kiss the Bishop had given his hand. "Kurt Hummel," he replied a little breathlessly, "I appear to have become very lost. Could you point me back in the way of the Chapel?"_

 _Blaine's face lit up with a smile, "I couldn't very well have you walk back all alone, you could get lost again," he said this with a wink._

 _Kurt was still not one to waste an opportunity, "I don't suppose you know anyone who would be willing to escort me?"_

 _Blaine's smile seemed to grow and he reached out to grab Kurt's hand, "Come on. I know a shortcut."_

 _Kurt was nearly positive that was not a shortcut._

* * *

"The Bishop knew nothing of their love. But every day he saw it grow stronger, and deeper, and richer. Until…" Finn trailed off and drained his glass in a single gulp. Sam grabbed the pitcher and filled it again.

"Until?" he pushed.

"They were betrayed," Finn said in unforgiving tone. "They shared the same confessor; a weak and foolish priest. And one day in a drunken confession to his superior…he committed a mortal sin. He revealed the lover's secret vows to the bishop."

* * *

 _It had been nearly one year since that first fateful day on the stairs. Blaine and Kurt had been meeting secretly nearly every night and had a strong desire to wed. They met, late one night when Kurt posed a question that led to something he didn't foresee._

 _"_ _Do you love me?" He asked._

 _"_ _More than last night, not as much as I will tomorrow," Blaine replied with a cheeky grin on his face. "But you already know that, my dear. So why are you asking?"_

 _"_ _Merely for the reason that I love to hear it," Kurt replied with a soft smile on his face. Blaine's grin grew into a heart melting smile and he leaned in to place a soft kiss on Kurt's perfect lips._

 _"_ _I will tell you every day," he vowed. His face turned serious as he stared at Kurt's eyes. "Will you marry me?" he asked. No speeches, no big performance. Simply asked the question he wanted to know the answer to with all of his heart._

 _Kurt felt as though his heart had stopped and he looked back at Blaine before giving his answer. "Yes. Yes with all of my heart," he said, his eyes filling with tears._

 _Without wasting a breath, the two of them climbed onto Beast and rode to the priest they knew they could trust. With their hearts in their hands, they begged him to marry them right then. The priest had never been able to resist Kurt Hummel and happily joined them in matrimony. He poured them all a glass of wine and sent them on their way to enjoy their wedding night. With a smile on his face, he celebrated with the bottle, forgetting that he was to give his confession to the bishop the next morning._

* * *

"The old fool didn't realize what he had done…or the terrible revenge the Bishop would place. His grace seemed to go mad! He lost both his sanity and his reason. He _swore_ that if he could not have Kurt, no man would. So Blane and Kurt fled from Aquila. The Bishop followed. Never more than an hour behind them, more persistent than a hound. He eventually caught up to them and dragged them back to Aquila. An evil man, a powerful man hated and feared! Rejected even by Rome herself!" Finn quieted and leaned towards Sam, "He called upon the powers of darkness for the means to damn the lovers. In his fury and frustration he struck a dreadful bargain. With the evil one. The dark powers of Hell spat up an evil curse, and you have seen it working."

* * *

 _Blaine could truthfully say that he was afraid. He and Kurt had been forced back to Aquila three weeks before. He did not know what had become of his beloved, or what was to become of him. They had been force into tower prison cells that were meant to hold the most deadly of criminals. If it was impossible to escape the dungeons, the towers were like trying to crawl out of Hell blindfolded, with your arms chained._

 _His eyes jumped up to his cell door when he heard heavy footsteps approaching. It was nearly sunrise, he wasn't supposed to be fed in the morning. His door swung open and Hunter Clarington stepped through. He had been out for Blaine's position for months, and it would appear that he had finally received his wish. He ordered two guards that Blaine didn't recognize to grab him. He was dragged to his feet and taken to the Bishop's private sitting rooms. He was relieved to see Kurt kneeling in the middle of the floor, looking dirty and scared, but otherwise unharmed. He was pushed to kneel beside him._

 _"_ _Are you alright my love?" he whispered softly to his pale husband._

 _"_ _I am frightened but otherwise alright. What will happen to us?" Kurt whispered shakily._

 _Before Blaine could answer, the door opened and Bishop Sebastian Smythe sauntered into the room._

 _"_ _Well, well, well," Sebastian said with a smirk, "It is so nice to see you again, but I'm afraid we don't have time to chat. We really must get on with it."_

 _"_ _Get on with what?" Kurt questioned, his voice started to rise in both pitch and tone as he flung question after question at the Bishop; "How did you find us? What are you going to do to us? Why are you doing this?"_

 _"_ _Enough!" Sebastian said, backhanding Kurt across the face, sending him from his kneeling position to curled on the floor. "No more questions. You know why I am doing this. You betrayed me. Loved another when I was prepared to give you everything. If it hadn't been for that brainless priest you love so much, I would never have learned that you were humiliating me behind my back! You don't deserve how generous I'm going to be to you two! I'm going to let you go! You'll be free and together forever!" he turned to his guards, "All of you! Out!" When they had left the room, he pulled a jar from his robes._

 _The jar itself was relatively small, but there was a disgusting black sludge inside of it._

 _"_ _I only need to give you one last thing before I send you both on your merry way. Drink this!" he demanded. When all he got from Blaine was a murderous stare, he turned to Kurt who had struggled back to his knees and was looking at him as if he was less than the strange sludge inside of the jar. He placed the jar on the table, grabbed him by the hair and held a small knife to his throat. "Drink. Or I will cut his perfect throat." He dragged the blade against the delicate skin on the side of his throat, causing Kurt to cry out in pain and making a cut that was about an inch and a half long._

 _Blaine looked at his perfect husband and nodded his ascent. Sebastian pushed Kurt down and opened the jar. He forced the vile liquid down Blaine's throat as Kurt cried out for him._

 _"_ _Blaine!" the sound was heart wrenching to the curly haired man who had started to choke. Sebastian turned back to Kurt._

 _"_ _Now you, or this will kill him." Kurt didn't hesitate in opening his mouth. Blaine looked on in terror as Sebastian pored what was left of the black sludge into the flawless mouth as the beginning rays of sunrise started to fill the room. "Perfect timing," Sebastian said quietly as he sat down to enjoy the show._

 _Blaine and Kurt looked at each other as the sunlight touched Kurt's pale skin. He cried out in fear as he felt his body begin to change. Blaine tried to reach for him but the evil Bishop pushed him to the ground. Blaine could only watch with horror as the body he loved so was mutated. The last sound he heard before his world went black was the rush of wings as a confused bird flew for the first time._

* * *

Finn was quiet as he finished his story, "By day, Kurt is the beautiful bird you brought to me. And by night, as you have already guessed, the voice of the wolf that we hear, is the cry of Blaine Anderson. Pour dumb creatures with no memories of their half-lives or their human existence. Only feeling a loyalty to the man they each consider a master. Never touching in the flesh. They only have the _anguish_ of a split second between sunrise and sunset, where they can almost touch. But not." Finn sounded as though his heart was as broken as the two separated men.

"Always together. Eternally apart. That is what the Bishop cursed them with," Sam said.

Finn nodded a confirmation, "As long as the sun rises and sets. As long as there is day or night. And for as long as they both shall live." Finn's eyes closed and he appeared to be blinking back tears. The cry of the wolf once again rang through the night. No longer fearsome, just a sad creature longing for his mate. Finn continued, "You have stumbled onto a tragic story, Sam Evans. And now, whether you like it or not, you are lost in it with the rest of us."


	8. It Can Be Broken

**Author's Note: I really hate the title for this chapter, but it was my only idea, and if I give one chapter a title I have to give them all a title, so…**

 **This note was pointless, but I needed to share my dislike for the title.**

 **Disclaimer: shockingly, I still don't own it.**

* * *

Dave Karofsky was the greatest hunter in Aquila. A hulking, savage bear of a man. He held no pity for the animals he slaughtered for sport. The Bishop had contacted him about wolf pelts and he had brought the best pelts of his most recent kills.

Sebastian poked around the pile with his staff before turning away in disgust. "Useless," he said harshly, "Every one of them."

"The traps are full, but I can't kill every wolf that lives," Karofsky defended, "Since the plague there are more wolves than men."

"There is a man," The Bishop said softly.

"Your Grace?" Karofsky questioned, not sure what this had to do with wolves.

"A _beautiful_ man," he continued as if he hadn't heard the interruption, "with alabaster skin. And the eyes of a dove," he shook himself out of his lustful reverie and addressed Dave, "He travels by night, only by night. His sun is the moon and his name…Kurt… Find him and you find the wolf. The wolf I _want_. The wolf who…loves him."

Karofsky stared at Sebastian as if he were insane. The Bishop noticed and sneered before finishing, "A black wolf," and with that, he left the room.

"Kurt," Karofsky said to himself, committing the name to memory.

* * *

The man in question was waking from a fitful sleep. Based on the sky outside of the small window in the hall, he could tell that he had less than an hour before sunrise. Finn had helped change him into an oversized nightgown after the arrow had been removed. He looked down at his body and saw blood seeping through the fabric covering his wound, creating a rather macabre accessory. Kurt adjusted his shoulder and let out a pained noise when his arm ached as a result.

Sam had been keeping a dutiful eye on him but had nearly drifted off when the small cry startled him out of a weak slumber. "Don't," he demanded gently when Kurt reached for his shoulder with his good arm, "you could start bleeding again."

"Tell me your name," Kurt requested, his voice still rough from both pain and sleep.

"Most people call me Sam, the Trout," he said with a slight blush at the silly nickname.

Kurt looked at Sam with an unreadable expression, "You travel with him, don't you?"

Despite knowing it was not a question, Sam answered anyway in the affirmative. The pale man smiled briefly before pain and sorrow filled his eyes and he turned his head away. Sam couldn't imagine how this felt. He had never known love and to be cruelly separated from the one you love more than life, and right now, to not even have the comfort of their other form with them… Sam needed to try to offer comfort to this poor creature.

"'You must save this hawk' he said, 'for he is my life,'" He worried about laying it on rather thick, but Sam didn't do half way, "'My last and best reason for living,'" When Kurt's face remained turned away from him, he continued, "And then he said, 'One day, we shall know such happiness as two people dream of, but never do.'"

Kurt slowly turned his head to face the blond man, "He said that?" he asked hesitantly, his eyes filled with hope.

Sam didn't feel as though he had lied. Blaine said so few words to Sam, and he would never get so emotional, but Sam was not stupid. He had heard the pain in Blaine's voice when his hawk had been struck, and then again when Sam had doubted that the bird would live. In Sam's mind, he had told Kurt exactly what Blaine had said. He just made the words more poetic…and left out the thinly veiled death threat.

"I swear it on my life," Sam said.

A beautiful smile took Kurt's face. Sam shyly returned it before leaving Kurt to his thoughts. He needed to talk to Finn.

* * *

"Does he know?" Finn startled awake at the sound of the question.

"What?" Finn asked gruffly, a little angry at being woken up.

"That you are the priest who betrayed them?"

Instead of answering the question, Finn stood up and lumbered towards Sam, saying, "God has declared an end to the curse. He has given me the knowledge to undo what I have done. After _two years,_ he has brought us back together again!"

Sam rolled his eyes at this frustrating giant, "Make yourself clear…if you can…" he muttered this last part to himself. Finn grabbed Sam's head and pulled it back to force the large lipped man to look at him.

"I have found a way to break the curse, and the time for Blaine to confront the Bishop and to continue with his own true life with Kurt again."

"He intends to confront the Bishop," Sam said, not able to keep the annoyance out of his voice, "to kill him with the sword of his ancestors— "

"No, he mustn't do that!" the priest interrupted, "He can't! If he kills the Bishop the curse will never be broken."

Before Sam had a chance to ask what he meant by that, they heard the loud clatter of horses coming up to the castle. Finn pushed Sam back towards the hall, "Look after Kurt. Quickly!" Sam hurried away and Finn went towards the drawbridge to great his unwelcome guests.

There were only three guards approaching the castle, but they could mean trouble for a drunk ex-priest, a fugitive and a wounded man who would be turning back into a bird within the hour.

"Open in the name of His Holiness, Bishop Sebastian Smythe of Aquila!" the first guard commanded up at Finn.

"Be off with you! This is a house of God not a Brothel!" Finn shouted down at the guards.

"I said open up in the name of the Bishop!" The guard shouted again, sounding much more annoyed than he did originally.

Finn might be a bit slow, but he wasn't stupid, and he knew he could stall long enough for Sam to help Kurt get to a safer place. "I've met the Bishop, you blasphemous lout! And you look nothing like him!"

The guard turned away in disgust and ordered one of the others to break the door down. With the building being as old and decrepit as it was, it didn't take them long to enter by force. Finn hadn't been able to keep them distracted for nearly as long as he had hoped, but he could certainly use what he knew of this building to make their lives a living hell. The entire thing was practically booby-trapped. He waited until they were crossing a small bridge that was stretched across a five-foot opening. The bridge tied directly above and all Finn had to do was loosen the rope at just the right moment to watch the guards fall.

"Sorry," he yelled out, barely keeping the laugh out of his voice, "I'm a monk, not an architect!"

He went over to the bridge and waited patiently for the guards to reach him.

"This way my son, straight through the big doors," the guard didn't pay any attention to Finn and just walked past him. When he was almost halfway across, the monk called out, "And remember!" As soon as he said this, the guard dropped through the rotted wood and fell into the water below. Finn snickered as he walked over to the hole where the man had fallen, "Stay on the left side!" he called down.

The other two guards were tired of his games and with a swift blow to the neck, the monk was unconscious.

Meanwhile, Sam had run back to the hall where Kurt had fallen asleep again and was curled on his side in the fetal position. Sam was sad to wake him, but they had to hide.

"Sir," he whispered gently near Kurt's ear, stirring him from his slumber, "come with me."

"What is it?" Kurt asked, his mind still cloudy from sleep.

"Don't talk, come with me."

He led Kurt out of the hall and into one of the surrounding towers. They slowly began the climb but when Sam tried to lead Kurt over to another tower they were spotted by one of the guards who immediately began a pursuit. They hurried back up the stairs, but Kurt was still slow from the pain of being shot along with the blood loss. They finally reached the roof, but while Kurt was crawling out through the trap door one of the guards grabbed Sam by the foot. Kurt screamed while Sam kicked his foot wildly, trying to buck him off. He succeeded in losing his boot, which sent the guard flying backwards down the stairs, breaking his neck. He hadn't been holding onto the railing and didn't have any chance to catch himself. Sam hurried onto the roof and shut the trapdoor.

"Sam," Kurt said trying to catch his breath, "it's me they're after."

After hearing about their history, Sam could see why he would think so, but he knew Kurt wasn't who they were looking for, "Don't flatter yourself— "

He was cut off by Kurt's scream as the trapdoor started to open. Without any hesitation, Sam jumped on the door, effectively holding it down with his weight. However, the last guard stabbed his sword through the gap in the slats in the wood and came close to cutting Sam's bare foot. He yelped and jumped back, bumping into Kurt, and sending him over the edge of the tower.

Kurt screamed as he felt himself fall. He grabbed onto the edge, but was dangling from his fingertips. For the first time in two years, he was wishing dawn would come faster. The ache in his shoulder was loosening his grip and he needed his wings. Sam's torso appeared above him and the man grabbed onto the pale arms. Sam had not regained his full strength from before his incarceration, and he could feel Kurt slipping from his hands. Kurt cried out in pain as he lost his grip on his right hand, leaving his full weight hanging from his injured side. His cry turned into a scream of fear when he felt his arm slipping through Sam's weak grip. Sam tried to pull Kurt up, and he raised him a good six inches before his strength started to go out.

When Kurt felt Sam's hand in his, he knew what was going to happen. He closed his eyes and wished that Blaine would be okay. That was his last thought before his hand finally slipped and he started to fall to the rocks down below.

While the sun was coming over the mountains, Sam could only look on in terror as Kurt started to fall, his terrified screams echoing in Sam's ears. As the sun rose, the screams changed. Gone were the high-pitched cries of fear, and in their place, was the shriek of a hawk.

The sun had risen in time to save Kurt from falling to his death.

Sam now knew about the curse. But knowing about it and seeing it in action were two different things. He looked at the bird in shock, trying to process what he had just seen. Unfortunately, the guard was still attempting to get on the roof, and were not giving Sam the time he needed to come to terms with the fact that he just saw a man turn into a bird.

The one remaining guard broke through the locked trapdoor and found himself alone on the roof. He looked over the edge to see if they had jumped and found Sam perched on a stone gargoyle. Raising his sword, he questions.

"Where is the other man?"

"He flew away," Sam knew this was unbelievable.

"Where is he!?"

"God's truth, he flew away!" Sam cried covering his head.

"You— "

He was cut off by an arrow lodging itself in his side. The guard fell off the roof and landed hard on the rocks below, killing him.

Sam looked down and saw Blaine standing nearby, crossbow in hand. He felt nearly giddy with relief, and waved.

"It always pays to tell the truth, Lord. Thank you, I see that now," He said before climbing off the gargoyle and going to meet Blaine.

* * *

The man in question was waiting at the entrance on top of Beast. The hawk was back in his proper place on Blaine's arm. As he was waiting for Sam, he saw Finn sitting in front of the bridge.

"I thought you might have been dead. There were times I wanted to kill you myself," Blaine said, "But… I am very grateful… for _this_ ," He motioned to the hawk.

Finn hesitantly approached. He needed to get Blaine to listen to him if what Sam had told him was true and he was planning to kill the Bishop. "It is I who should be grateful, to have the chance to redeem myself and to save you and Kurt. God has told me how the curse can be broken."

Blaine couldn't believe that Finn would do something like this. He had already ruined their lives, but to dare give them false hope? That was too far. And if he had said something about this…'cure' to Kurt…Blaine would probably kill Finn like he should have two years ago. "You have betrayed us once. I warn you…" he trailed off.

"Three days hence, the Bishop will hear the confession of the clergy in the cathedral in Aquila. All you have to do is confront him. Both of you, as two men. And the curse will be broken! And both of you will be free!" Finn was desperate to make him understand. The curse would never be broken if Sebastian was dead! But Blaine was only looking at Finn with disbelief, hatred burning in his eyes.

"Impossible," he said in a cold voice.

"As long as there is night and day, no, it's not possible," Finn continued, "But three days hence, in Aquila there will be a day without a night and a night without a day."

Blaine was barely keeping his anger under control. "Go back inside, Finn. Go back to your drink."

"You think I'm drunk!" Finn shouted, "I swear to you! God has shown me! He has forgiven me!"

"God hasn't forgiven you," Blaine said in that same cold voice, "He's made you mad."

Finn looked crushed at this. He wanted to believe that God has shown him the answer. Not only for the sake of his own redemption, but for Kurt and Blaine. He wanted his little brother back. But if God had simply made him go insane…what hope was there?

Sam, who had been watching from a distance, decided it was time to come in, "Sir!" he called out to Blaine, who had started to ride away, "Sir, sir…sir," Blaine finally pulled Beast to a stop. "How's your shoulder?" he figured that was as good a way to start as any. Blaine simply gave him a look and then turned away.

"I'm in your debt."

"Please sir, no no, not at all," Sam decided to lie through his teeth right now. "He wanted me to deliver a message. He says he still has hope. Faith in you."

Blaine simply shook his head, "You're free to go."

"I know that, Sir."

"Do as you like."

"Yes, Sir. Then you and Porcelainhawke will be going on to Aquila?" Sam asked. Blaine finally looked up at the name.

"Porcelainhawke?" He questioned, Sam looked sheepish.

"I know it's a mouthful, but his skin is like porcelain, and it just doesn't seem right to call him 'Kurt' in that form. I'm think we should shorten it to Porcelain. It suits him," he explained.

Blaine had a small smile on his face, but it quickly left, "Yes, we're going to Aquila."

"Well," Sam said, "it just so happens, I'm heading in that general direction, myself."

"Really?" Blaine said with a raised eyebrow. Sam simply smiled. "Then you better grab your things, I'm leaving now."

Sam nodded, his large lips split in a smile, "Right."

What he didn't see as he went to get his pack was Blaine's smile as he looked at the hawk perched on his arm, "Porcelainhawke," he said, almost to himself, "Porcelain. It's perfect for you." And proceeded to ride off.

As Sam was running up to get his stuff, he stopped to talk to the monk. "Finn, I'm leaving with the Captain. Follow us!"


	9. Storm

**Author's Note: Warnings for what I guess counts as animal cruelty, animal traps, discussions of blood, minor character death, and badly described dancing. I don't know how to dance, I don't like to dance. As a result, I am horrendous with descriptions of dance moves. This chapter is just awkward to me. I am sorry in advance.**

 **Disclaimer: let me think…nope, still don't own it.**

* * *

It was a little less than three hours until sunset when Sam finally broached the topic.

"What if Finn is right about breaking the curse? If you and Kurt could face the Bishop together, as humans…" He trailed off.

"You will not mention that again. Not to me, not to _him_! Understood," Blaine's tone was cold and angry. He would not allow false hope, and he wouldn't hurt Kurt with the chance of freedom when it would never be theirs. Blaine had realized long ago that there was no force on Earth that could break the curse, and that no power in Heaven seemed to care about their suffering. He couldn't let himself hope.

"…understood," Sam replied and let the conversation drop. 

It was nearly sundown when the heard the rumble of thunder. Sam looked up to the sky and let out a low whistle. "Sounds like a big one," he said, "We're gonna get soaked."

"Find shelter," Blaine said, climbing off of Beast, "The sun is going down."

Sam looked up at the sky. It was overrun with angry grey clouds, only allowing the smallest glimpse of light to escape. "How can you tell?" he asked.

"After so many sunsets?" Blaine replied with a slight smirk; telling Sam he should know better. He raised the arm Porcelainhawke was perched and let him trade arms, "Take care of Porcelain," he said as Sam tentatively allowed the bird onto his arm. Sam gently kicked Beast into a start. Blaine called out to him before they were far away.

"Tell him I love him."

* * *

Sam had managed to get them shelter in a barn next to an inn. He gave the innkeeper enough coins to keep them from getting kicked out. By the time the rain began to fall, Beast had been unsaddled and Sam was awkwardly trying to make conversation.

"Are you hungry?" he asked after too long in silence. When he didn't get any sign the cursed bird knew what he was saying, he continued, "Can you understand me, Porcelain?" Still nothing, "You know, it's my favorite thing for dinner, hawk. I've eaten thousands of them. Use to kill one every night… It serves me right for getting involved in this nightmare. Nightmare? _Day_ mare? And then, a night without day? A day without night? What's that supposed to mean? It makes as much sense as the rest of it," He was just rambling now. After the confusion of these past few days, Sam needed to get this all off his chest. Even if it was to a hawk who might or might not understand what he was saying. Porcelain let out a screech, making Sam look up in realization.

"Uh oh. Sunset…I'll wait outside," Sam started out of the barn when he remembered something, "Hold on for a minute," he told the bird.

He ran towards the inn. There was a wedding party inside, and a dressed-up wagon outside. After making sure that no one was coming out any time soon, he hopped in the bed of the wagon, and pulled two tunics and two pairs of trousers out of one of the bags. He hurried back to the barn, trying to beat the sunset.

"I can't vouch for the fit," he said apologetically, laying one set of clothes on a stable door, before hurrying out, "Take your time, good sir," He closed the barn doors and switched his old, dirty clothes with the new ones. When he was certain the sun was set, he knocked on the doors.

"Sir," he knocked again, "Sir, I'm coming in. Sir," As he walked into the barn, Kurt came out from the stall that he had apparently been dressing in, "It's me. Remember?"

"Yes," Kurt tugged on the almost laughably large tunic, "You?" Sam nodded, "Thank you. How is he?"

"He's alive, like you. He's full of hope, like you. He left you in my charge. He said, 'tell him we two speak as one. And he will follow your instructions as my own.'"

"Really?" Kurt raised an incredulous eyebrow. Sam was about to speak when the porcelain beauty cut him off, "No. Don't swear. I know you're lying. Blaine never gives me _instructions._ We're equals," Sam was embarrassed at being caught in his lie. Kurt rolled his eyes and walked over to Beast.

"Good evening, Beast," he said in a sweet voice, "He's taking us back to Aquila, isn't he?"  
Sam gave a sheepish nod, "I'm sorry," he said. Kurt sighed.

"Well, what do you 'instruct?'" he asked, voice filled with sarcasm.

Sam knew he had to make Kurt forgive him for the lie, or else the rest of the evening would be very awkward. "I instruct you to sit by a warm fire, to drink a cup of sweet wine, and to listen to bright music cheerfully play," his face turned red, "Perhaps dance. Maybe even sing a duet with me."

Kurt smiled and looked down at the ground. It saddened him to know that he couldn't remember the last time he had sung, let alone danced. Sam was the first person he had really spoken to more than once in the past two years, and it was no fun to dance by yourself. He didn't want to think about how he would most likely never dance with Blaine ever again, and so he looked up at Sam and nodded with a smile.

Sam's large lips split into a grin, "Shall we, good sir? Dance?"

"Now?"

"Practice," Sam entered the starting position; right hand behind his back, left raised in front of him at eye level. He smiled as he skipped towards Kurt, grabbing his hand and pulling him into the middle of the barn. They skipped around in a circle and Sam was rewarded with the sound of Kurt's laughter. Wrapping their arms around each other's backs, standing side by side, they hopped four steps forward and four steps back. They then joined hands and jumped around in a circle until they got so dizzy that they lost their hold on each other. Sam caught himself on a nearby beam and Kurt had to balance himself on a stall, he was still laughing.

"Oh," he said, finally calmed down, "Oh my. It has been a long time, Sam," he said with a giggle, "I think I'll take my cup of sweet wine now."

"Alright," Sam said, still trying to regain his balance. He stumbled over to Blaine's sword and picked it up, carefully.

"So," Kurt began in a teasing tone, "you intend to be my protector as well, eh?"

Sam snickered to himself as he covered himself and Kurt with a blanket to keep their heads dry in the storm, "Well, the truth is; he'll kill me if I lose it."

Unfortunately, the blanket impaired their vision, so they couldn't see the horse that was in front of them until they ran into it. They dropped the blanket as they raised their heads to see wolf pelts draped over the back of the horse in front of them. Kurt couldn't have contained his scream if he had tried. He was nearly hysterical at the sight in front of them. Even though none of the pelts were black, all he could see was his Blaine. He nearly collapsed when Sam held him from behind.

"Kurt, Kurt!" he yelled, trying to calm him down, when he heard a voice come from the previously unnoticed second horse.

"Kurt," the voice said, "Kurt," it repeated with recognition. Sam looked at the man who had spoken. He was a large man, covered in wolf pelts and was looking at Kurt in a way that was almost hungry. Sam immediately felt defensive.

"Get inside," he commanded, pushing Kurt back to the barn doors. The way this beast of a man was looking at Kurt made Sam feel sick. He raised the sword on unsteady hands, but kept his voice firm as he shouted, "If you lay one hand on him, you'll find it on the ground next to your head! Now ride on!"

The large man smirked down at him, before responding in a condescending tone, "Easy, little man. You're frightening me."

Sam didn't waver, "Are you deaf!? Ride on!"

The man laughed even as he turned his horses around and left the inn.

"Turn around and you're dead!" Sam continued to threaten. He would not put the sword down until that man was far away from Kurt. When the hunter had ridden back into the forest Sam let the tip of the sword drop to the ground until it was supporting his weight.

"What a terrible night," he muttered to himself as he walked back to the barn, using the sword like a cane. He would need to clean it before sunrise.

He stopped dead in his tracks when a large black horse holding a man wearing baggy clothes came running through the doors, chasing after the hunter.

"Kurt," he calls, only to be ignored, "Kurt! Kurt!" Sam stumbles back to the barn, "He'll kill me. He'll kill me."

* * *

The forest is dark and frightening as Kurt goes after the wolf hunter. The only light source is the lightning from the storm. Luckily for Kurt, he knows how to navigate in the dark, and it is easy for him to spot a horse in the distance that is carrying wolf pelts. When he got his wits about him in the barn, he realized that Blaine might not be dead yet, but with an obviously skilled hunter nearby… He didn't hesitate to grab his knife from Blaine's saddlebag and climb onto Beast's back.

Kurt quietly climbed off of Beast and approached the hunter's horses, Beast following.

The forest had never been so frightening to Kurt. He didn't see the other man, but the sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach let him know that he was nearby. The rain had finally stopped, but the lightning was still fierce. He pushed forward, painfully unaware of the wolf-trap his foot had been mere inches from. The thunder roared as a bird was startled from the nearby bushes, causing Kurt to jump. He was even more frightened by the tell-tale sound of traps closing.

Karofsky had been setting traps when he saw the large black horse approach. He hid behind a tree when he noticed that the rider was Kurt. The beautiful man he had seen just a few minutes ago. He decided to have a little bit of fun. Karofsky gathered three rocks and tossed them into the traps closest to Kurt.

Kurt frantically looked around for who had thrown the rocks. "Show yourself, coward!" he shouted, unknowingly attracting the attention of a large black wolf nearby. The wolf started towards the voice when he was distracted by something on the ground. He went to sniff at the trap when it closed painfully around his neck, killing him instantly.

Karofsky went to the trap when he heard the pained yelp. He smirked when he noticed the pitch-black color of the wolf's pelt. "Hello, my beauty," he said mockingly as he deactivated the trap to pull the wolf's head free. Kurt had also heard the whine and ran after Karofsky. His heart broke when he saw the wolf and he didn't hesitate to run up behind the hunter with his knife raised.

The man had heard him approach and turned around when Kurt was about to bring the knife down. Before either man could react, there was a snarl. They looked up to see a magnificent black wolf standing in a defensive posture with his hackles raised.

"Blaine," Kurt whispered.

"The black wolf," Karofsky said, reaching for his knife. Kurt saw and kicked the man down. He landed face-first in his own trap, setting it off. The wolf ran, the sound of the hunter's choked screams chasing him.


	10. Sunrise

**Author's Note: Warning for a near death experience, and heartache between our two favorite boys.**

 **Disclaimer: Nope, not mine. Sorry.**

* * *

It was nearly noon the next morning when Blaine stopped at a lake to get some breakfast. Sam had apparently had an eventful night; when they had reunited, he could barely stay awake and ended up sleeping on Beast in front of Blaine. The Captain had put him down on some fir branches and went to go fish. The poor kid had been staying up most of the day with Blaine, and most of the night with Kurt. He needed a rest.

The closer they were getting to Aquila, the colder it was getting and so the lake was covered with a thin sheet of ice. Blaine broke a hole in the ice and waited until a fish swam up to the fresh oxygen before letting an arrow loose from his crossbow, effectively catching the fish. When he caught another after another few minutes, he went back to where he had left Sam and built up a fire, skewering the fish on sticks to smoke.

Once breakfast was nearly prepared, Blaine grabbed the ends of the fir branches that were making up Sam's bed and dragged him to lay by the fire. Waking him up in the process.

"Good morning," Blaine said, amused.

Sam groaned as he woke up against his will, "Good morning."

"You looked a little pale. I got you something to eat."

"Thank you, Sir," Sam said, surprised. Blaine gave a nod in response and went to eat his own fish. "What a night," Sam grumbled to himself as he stretched his aching bones.

Blaine heard, "What happened?"

Sam nearly panicked. He didn't want to tell Blaine about his beloved riding off by himself in the middle of a storm. And he simply didn't know how to tell him about when he found Kurt again, he was standing over the still convulsing body of the hunter, refusing to move until he was certain the man was dead. "Nothing I couldn't handle, Captain," he finally said.

Anything Blaine was going to say next was interrupted by the screech of his hawk. Blaine put his arm up to catch him, but Porcelain went past him to land on the arm that Sam had been stretching. Sam's eyes widened and he chuckled nervously. "Ha ha…good little hawk…nice bird, go to your master," Blaine was watching with a decidedly unamused look on his face.

"What exactly did happen last night?" Blaine questioned.

"Nothing!" Sam replied before going back to the bird, "Go, go, go…we ran into a little trouble on our way to an Inn."

"You took Kurt to an Inn!?"

"Well, we actually stayed in the stable. Fly to your master, fly to the one you love," the treacherous bird was refusing to listen to him while Blaine was nearly panicking.

"What did you do in the stable?"

"We changed clothes," Sam started without thinking."

"What?!"

"Not together of course!"

"You left him alone!?"

"No, never!"

"So you did change— " Blaine knew very well that he was being foolish, but he couldn't help his jealousy. Kurt was the most beautiful, moral, compassionate person he had ever met and it wouldn't surprise him that Sam had seen that.

"No, no! Here take him. Take him, take him," Sam said as he finally passed the hawk on to his proper master. They had had an emotional night, so he could somewhat understand the hawk developing a more emotional connection to him, but if this happened again, Blaine might actually kill him.

Sam started to walk back to the fire before turning back to Blaine. It was time to be honest…well, as honest as he could be, "He's the most wonderful person that's ever lived. I can't say that I haven't had my fantasies about how things would be if he was a woman. But the truth is that I only feel attraction and desire to women and all he did was talk about you."

The honesty in Sam's words calmed Blaine down. Desire for the same sex was nearly as common as the opposite, so Blaine hadn't been sure of Sam's feelings. It was definitely a relief to know that he could not feel that way about Kurt.

"Every moment you spend with him," Blaine began shyly, not used to being emotional anymore, "I envy you," he placed the hawk on a branch to perch and approached Sam, grabbing him by the shoulders, "You can tell me, tell me everything that he said. And I warn you; I will know if the words are his."

Sam pulled away and thought fast, "He was sad at first. He talked about the day you met, and he cursed it," Blaine closed his eyes and turned away at that. It wouldn't surprise him. Kurt could be spiteful, it was one of the many perfectly imperfect things about him. Sam continued, "But then I saw him remember how happy you were together, before the Bishop's curse, and his eyes glowed. No, _he_ glowed. He loves you more than life, Captain. He's had to."

Blaine filled with love and sadness, "Did you know; hawks and wolves mate for life? The Bishop didn't even leave us that," Blaine turned back to Porcelain and whispered, "Not even that."

* * *

Sunset was nearing when Finn finally caught up to them. He climbed off of his wagon and approached Blaine.

"On your way to go kill his Grace?" he asked, "Why won't you listen to me? In two days time, you can face the Bishop in the cathedral with Kurt by your side. And break the curse!" he said adamantly.

"I will be in Aquila tomorrow," Blaine said, "And one way or another there will finally be an end."

Sam chimed in, "One day more or less, what could it matter?"

"You too?" Blaine said, feeling betrayed, "I warned you. Stay here then with the monk."

"No. I'm going with you. How will you get inside the cathedral without me?"

Blaine refused to listen, "I will get in. Without your help," and with that, he rode off.

Finn sighed and walked over to the other man, "Thank you for trying, Sam. And for standing up for the truth."

Sam shook his head, "I should have known better. Every happy moment in my life has come from lying."

* * *

It was just past nightfall when Finn and Sam finally caught up to Kurt. Finn had a nearly broken down wagon, and an old mule named Cheesus, so it was a miracle they found them at all. Sam came up to Kurt, who was tying his boot.

"Sir?" he said.

Kurt looked up, startled, "There you are little Trout," he said fondly, "have you seen my knife?"

"Kurt," Sam began, but Kurt wasn't paying attention, he was looking around in the saddlebag next to him.

"I just had it here."

"Kurt, this may be our last evening together."

That got his attention.

"Why?" he asked softly. He didn't want to lose his only friend.

"I didn't want to tell you until I believed. I mean _really_ believed," he paused for dramatic emphasis. Kurt rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"Believed _what_ , Sam?"

"I think we can break the curse."

Kurt stopped moving.

"We have a plan," Sam continued.

"You and Blaine?" Kurt asked, looking up at him.

Sam shook his head as Finn came out from behind a tree, "No," Kurt fixed them both with a look that promised pain.

"Explain. Fast."

Finn quickly explained to Kurt how the curse could be broken.

"So how are you planning to convince him? It's not like I can talk him into it."

"That's the thing," Sam interjected, "he loves you so much, that simply seeing you could make him _want_ to hope. Finn said that there is a second at sunrise and sunset where you two can see each other. We need to get you and the wolf in the same place at the same time, so that when he turns human he can see you before you become the hawk."

Kurt closed his eyes, looking deep in thought, "Finn, if you're wrong…this will break us. To force us into this…we haven't been together at that time ever since the first month of the curse. It hurts too much to only get a split second. It's like we lose each other all over again."

"We understand that, Kurt," Finn said, "The last thing that I want to do is hurt you two more than I already have, but he will not listen to us. He needs to feel the pain of losing you. It is the only thing that will move him."

Kurt wanted to cry. He wanted to believe in what Finn was saying, but if it didn't work, and the curse would never be broken…

He thought back to something Blaine had told him while they were running from Sebastian.

 _Courage_.

* * *

Two hours after Kurt agreed to the plan, Sam and Finn were digging a trap for a wolf. Their plan might be cruel, but they felt it would be the kick Blaine needed to get him to listen to them.

It was not a fun experience.

"Must you keep bumping me in the liver?" Finn asked, annoyed. When Sam didn't reply, he gave up and tossed him out of the way. Sam glared at the monk.

"Finn…this hole's not big enough for the two of us."

Finn rolled his eyes, "Well, let's just hope it's big enough to catch a wolf."

Kurt was looking out for Blaine while the other two were digging the hole. He hadn't really been paying attention, but when he heard Finn cry out in pain, he looked over.

"Ow! What are you doing?" he whined. They were trying to climb out of the hole, but it was deeper than they had planned. Sam was trying to push Finn out, but two years of drinking and not doing much of anything had made him flabby, and he had lost any and all upper body strength he had.

Sam was exhausted, "When you kneel before the alter, how do you get up again?"

"You sacrilegious young imp!" Finn said, indignant, "Just push!" Finn had gone about six inches out of the hole when they heard the howl that signaled the approach of what was Blaine Anderson.

"He's coming," Finn said.

Sam gave up on pushing the monk out and just climbed out himself, using the taller man as a ladder. He ignored Finn's yells and ran over to Kurt.

"Sir," he said, getting his attention, "Sir, we're just covering the trap."

"Alright," Kurt said, sounding a little nervous.

Sam ran back over to Finn, who had finally managed to pull himself out, and they both hid. Kurt was left standing in the middle of the clearing, near the frozen over lake. He could hear the howls of his beloved Blaine getting closer to him and he turned and walked a few steps towards where they were coming from.

Sam nearly panicked when he saw where the large black wolf was coming from, "He's coming across the ice."

No sooner than he had said this, the ice under the wolf's feet cracked sending him into the icy water.

Kurt didn't think before he started forward. The frightened yelps drove away all caution, until the ice beneath his feet started to crumble. He fell forward with a scream, but kept crawling forwards on his stomach.

"Wait, Sir!" Sam called, running over to them. He grabbed Blaine's sword, which had been tied to a rope for the trap, and followed them onto the ice.

"Sam! He can't get out!" Kurt was terrified. He didn't stop crawling over to the wolf, who was still struggling to get out of the water. Finn slid onto the ice behind Sam. All three of the men were trying to get the wolf out of the water before it killed him.

When Kurt finally reached the terrified creature, he grabbed him around the torso and tried to pull him out. The wolf was too heavy, too slick, and was fighting too hard for the slim man to get him out of the water.

"Oh God, Sam, I can't pull him out! I can't lift him!" Kurt shouted in tears. His voice was filled with anguish over not being able to help his lover. He had promised years ago, that he was never saying goodbye to Blaine. And if the wolf didn't make it…Kurt would join him.

"I'm coming!" Sam called out. He stabbed the sword into the ice and grabbed the rope.

"Hurry Sam, we'll lose him!" Finn yelled from his position on the ice. He made it to the sword and held it steady as Sam tied the rope around his waist.

Kurt was nearly hysterical, "Sam, Sam help me! Sam I'm slipping, please!" Sam slipped into the hole with the wolf.

"Hold him!" he shouted at Kurt, the wolf was snarling now as Sam grabbed onto him. He let the wolf climb up his body, the claws tearing into the skin of his chest. During Sam's struggles with the wolf, Kurt lost his hold. The two beings in the water slipped out of his reach. Sam and the wolf were wrestling in the water, the wolf desperate to stay afloat, and Sam determined not to let him drown.

The wolf pushed Sam under the water, and for a moment, he was worried he would not be able to get back up. The scared creature was trying to use his body to stay up, but was not allowing him time to breathe. When the wolf slipped off of his body and under the water, Sam didn't even breathe. He pushed the wolf back over to a crying Kurt, who immediately grabbed him by the scruff of his neck. Sam pushed the creature while Kurt pulled with all of his strength, and they finally got him out of the water.

While Kurt hugged Blaine tight to his chest, a freezing Sam was dragging himself out of the icy water. Finn was still at the sword, pulling the rope to help get him out.

"Hold on," Finn yelled worriedly, "Hold on, Sam!"

With the last of his strength, Sam escaped the water. Finn dragged himself over to where the others were lying, exhausted. Kurt was hunched over the wolf, who was frighteningly still. And Sam had yet to move from where he had collapsed. Finn looked for a pulse, and was relieved to find it strong, if a little too slow. They would all have to warm up very quickly. Finn was dragged from his musings by the unnaturally haggard voice of Kurt.

"We must live, Finn. As human beings," he finally looked away from the weak body of the wolf, and looked into Finn's eyes, "Our lives are in your hands now."

* * *

By the time the first hints of sunrise were appearing over the mountains, Finn and Kurt had managed to drag Sam and the wolf away from the dangerous lake. Finn had heated water for Sam to drink and got him covered under a mountain of blankets, while Kurt pulled Blaine into the trap and covered him with a blanket before climbing in after him.

Kurt was absentmindedly running his fingers through the soft black fur that covered the other form of his lover. He couldn't stop touching him as he tried not to think about how close he had come to losing him. He glanced over to where his hand was caressing the wolf and stopped short. His bent fingers caught the beginning traces of the sunrise.

Kurt dragged his hand away from Blaine and slowly sat up. He looked over to the mountains and saw the sun barely peeking over the horizon. Turning back to Blaine, he raised his hand, allowing the sun to touch his skin for the few moments that would belong to him before he was taken away from himself.

He didn't dare to blink as he looked down at his weak lover. He watched the mercifully gentle transformation as the fur faded to tanned skin. The powerful form of the wolf, now the strong form of the man. Black curls, now the only memory of the fur that had covered the animal. Kurt pressed his hand to his mouth, trying to ward off tears as he gazed at the man he loved for the first time in two years.

Blaine tried to get his bearings after the transformation. When he realized that he was in a hole in the ground, he sat up and turned around to examine his surroundings. Nothing could prepare him for what he saw.

Amber eyes connected with the most unique pair of glasz. Those eyes that he loved with every fiber of his being, were filled with tears. Neither dared to blink for fear of losing this precious gift. Kurt pulled his hand away from his mouth and reverently reached out to Blaine, who raised his as well.

A split second before their fingers were able to touch, Kurt's eyes widened as he felt the change. Blaine could only watch as his Kurt was forced to take the form of the bird that possessed his days. The hawk flew away, with Blaine lunging after it, desperate to hold onto that moment they had been together. Blaine felt the anguish of losing Kurt once again.

His cry of agony echoed to the sky, chasing the hawk.


	11. Aquila

**Author's Note: I'm not really satisfied with this chapter, but eh, whatcha gonna do? Warnings for mentions of blood. And it looks like the next chapter is going to be the last one, but there is going to be an epilogue after that.**

 **Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing.**

* * *

Blaine refused to speak about what had happened. He was even more cold than usual, as he prepared to ride on to Aquila. He knew that what had happened that morning had been because of these two, and he refused to let them know how badly his heart was hurting.

He walked over to where Finn and Sam were sitting in front of a fire, "Tell me one thing; where is my father's sword?" His voice was harsh.

Sam looked away, "It's gone. It fell through the ice last night crossing the river."

"Damn you!" Blaine said, "That sword was the last little bit of honor I possessed," he was angry. His heart had broken this morning, and now he had lost the one tie to his family.

"There is no mission of honor now!" Sam defended, "The jewel you wish to place in your sword hilt has become a symbol of your meaningless death!" he said as Blaine walked away from him. Sam needed to help Blaine see reason, so he continued, "But there is a chance for life now. A new life with _him_." He finished, pointing at Porcelain where he sat, perched on a branch next to Finn's shoulder.

"I needed that sword to kill the Bishop!" Blaine yelled, approaching Sam.

"Blaine, listen to him!" Finn said, standing up and hurrying over to the two men. Blaine wasn't listening as he grabbed Sam by the collar.

"Damn you!"

"Go ahead!" Sam shouted, tired of trying to reason with him, "Kill yourself! Kill him, too! You never cared for him as much as yourself, anyway!"

That was too much for Blaine and he threw Sam to the ground. "To hell with you! I love him more than life itself! I would die for him! Do you have any idea what this is like! I can't stand to be apart from the person that I love!" By the time Blaine finished, he finally looked at Sam, who was curling up in pain. His shirt had come undone enough for Blaine to see multiple claw marks scabbing over on his chest. The fall had reopened some of them, and there was blood welling over the skin.

Blaine's eyes widened in horror at the sight, "What is that?" he demanded to Finn, desperately hoping that they were not what he thought they were.

Finn's voice was hard when he responded, "That happened last night. When he saved your life."

Blaine immediately filled with regret. He looked at Sam, and said in a humble voice, "Forgive me, please." Sam didn't say anything, but when Blaine offered his hand to help pull him up, he accepted it. Sam smiled as Blaine pulled him into a hug, "I'll show you two idiots how to cage a wolf."

Sam pulled back, "Does that mean that you'll try?"

Blaine sighed as his eyes shut. He owed Sam his life. That reason alone would be enough to grant him a request. But if he was being honest with himself…he missed Kurt.

He missed the perfect imperfections, his eyes, his personality, talking with him. Simply being with him. The Bishop would die, one way or another, but if this magical night without a day, and day without a night happened, and he had killed the Bishop... He would never forgive himself.

"I'll wait. I'll wait as long as possible, but he will be dead before sunset, tomorrow."

Sam and Finn looked at each other and nodded. This was as good as they were going to get, and they were going to take it.

* * *

By the time night had fallen, they were approaching the gates of Aquila. There was a cage in the bed of the wagon, and Beast was tied up to the back. They stopped thirty yards away from the gates to let Sam sneak off the back of the wagon and into the moat.

"Remember," Finn told him before he left, "meet at the cul-de-sac by the great north wall."

"Right, right. Cul-de-sac, great north wall," and with that, they separated.

As Sam was climbing into the water of the moat, he looked up to the sky, "We've come full circle, Lord. I would like to think that there is some higher meaning to all of this. It certainly would reflect well on you," he said, before reluctantly submerging himself in the frigid, dirty water.

Finn was urging Cheesus along when they were halted by one of the guards.

"What have we here, Father?" Kurt recognized the voice, it had a unique accent. He believed the guard's name was Adam, or something similar. He had been overly friendly, and liked to stare at Kurt a little too much. Blaine had never liked him, and the feeling had been mutual. Kurt's musings were interrupted by Finn responding to Adam.

"A surprise present, my son, for His Grace, the Bishop. It's from the people of my parish."

Adam walked over to the covered cage in the wagon, and pulled back the cloth to reveal a snarling, black wolf. Apparently, the other form didn't like Adam any more than Blaine did.

"A fine pelt for his wall," Finn yelled back at him. The guard ignored him as he walked over to where Kurt was sitting.

"And what have we here?" he said, pulling Kurt's hood back, revealing his beautiful face and disheveled hair. Before he had the chance to recognize him, he was distracted by the wolf, who once again, snarled at him. Adam glared over at the wolf.

"I've never had the pleasure of killing a wolf before," Adam said removing his sword from his scabbard."

Kurt looked over at Finn, panic in his eyes. Finn thought fast, and said, "How strange, that's exactly what the Bishop said!" he called over to the guard, who immediately stopped moving, "I'm sure he'll understand you depriving him of that pleasure, he's a very forgiving sort of man."

Kurt was barely able to hold in his laughter at that.

Adam frowned, but sheathed his sword, "Very well, pass on," he said, waving the wagon forward.

"Wisdom is beyond price, my son. Be grateful that you have it," Finn said, before urging his mule on.

Kurt pulled his hood back on. He had been well known in Aquila before the Bishop's curse. He still had friends here and as much as he would love to see them, word could not get back to Sebastian that he was in the city. So, he hid himself away in the large hood as Finn went farther into the city. He looked over at the man he had once called brother. Finn had been punishing himself for years for his crime against them, and he was so willing to help them, even when there was risk to himself. He didn't hope for forgiveness, just for their happiness. With that in mind, Kurt gently placed one of his small hands on one of Finn's large ones. He needed to say this in case he never again had the chance.

When Finn glanced over at Kurt, he leaned forward and whispered three words that Finn had never dared hope to hear.

"I forgive you."

Finn looked over at Kurt, eyes filling with tears. Kurt gave him a sweet smile, and simply said, "Let's keep moving."

* * *

The next morning, Sam found his way into the same hole in the gate that had proven to be his salvation during his escape. He made his way over to the drain below the cathedral where he was going to attempt to enter. He held a small knife in his mouth, which he was trying to use to loosen the drain enough for him to climb out. When the time came, he needed to ensure that the doors were unlocked to allow for Blaine's entrance.

Hopefully, he wouldn't be alone.

Naturally, however, as soon as he had managed to pry open the drain cover, the doors to the cathedral opened, to reveal the Bishop, and his entourage. Sam would have to wait until everyone was settled. He couldn't risk someone coming to stand over where he was, while he was climbing out of a drain.

Someone stood over the drain. Sam rolled his eyes in annoyance. That _would_ happen when he was in a hurry. He took his small knife and started to poke at the person's foot. The man standing above him flinched before stomping his foot against the drain in an attempt to dislodge whatever was stabbing him.

Sam huffed a breath, before stabbing the knife up into the foot. Maybe a bit more forcefully than necessary. It had the desired effect, however, and the man jumped up and off of the drain.

"What's the matter?" Sam heard one of the man's companions ask.

"Rats," he replied.

"Rats? Here? Scandalous," and after stabbing their canes into the drain, thankfully missing Sam, they walked away. Once the men had left, Sam wasted no more time to get out of the drain. He hurried behind a pillar, that was being used to hold some long, white robes. He slipped one on to disguise himself as the Bishop settled at his alter, ready to hear the confessions of the clergy.

He looked over to the doors to see guards barring them, before locking the bars in place.

* * *

Meanwhile, Finn and Blaine were waiting near the Cathedral, underneath the overcast sky.

"It should be soon now," Finn said, unwilling to give up hope, "Once the clouds break."

But Blaine looked over to the bird form of his lover and shook he head. He had known it wasn't possible, "It's day, Finn. Like it was yesterday, like it will be tomorrow. It didn't work, and now there is no time left, the mass will be over soon. I cannot wait for you now. If Sam has done his job, I can kill the Bishop now or never!"

"No Blaine! This chance will never come again!" Finn said, desperate to stop Blaine from making this fatal mistake.

"You're right," Blaine said, before grabbing something out of a saddlebag that had been left in the wagon, "If this service ends peacefully, the cathedral bells will begin to toll…and you will know I have failed," there would be no changing his mind, Finn could tell.

"But Kurt," he started, but found he couldn't find anything to say.

Blaine gently picked up the hawk and looked at it, trying to force out his request, before holding out the dagger he had taken from his saddlebag, "I, I _beg you_ take his life. Quick, Finn."

Finn looked down at Blaine in shock, "I can't do that," he said quietly. He had never thought he would hear Blaine ask for anything that would bring Kurt harm.

"Yes, you can. I beg you," Blaine sounded as though it was killing him to say these words, but he must, "The cruelty would be to damn him to a half-life, and I know that is not what he wants. He would be alone…you can't protect him for the rest of your life, and Sam…Sam would do his best, but I know Kurt like I know my soul. He would never be happy. We had vowed while we were running from Sebastian that we would never say goodbye to each other. That when one of us died the other would follow. I can't allow his soul to become damned."

Finn was a monk. He knew good and well what the church said would happen to those who took their own life, he would do anything possible to save Kurt from that fate, and he knew that once Kurt made up his mind about something, nothing would be able to stop him, but still… "I could never do it."

Blaine shut his eyes before looking up at the man he had once trusted with everything. He knew this was a cruel thing to ask of anyone, let alone of the man who had considered Kurt to be a brother. He just needed this reassurance that Kurt wouldn't suffer, "Have you ever considered that maybe, this is what God intended all along?" he asked gently, "That the curse will never be broken as long as we live, and so we must not live anymore," Blaine handed Finn the knife, and after one last caress to the chestnut feathers, he passed over the bird.

He donned his armor, and mounted Beast. He grabbed the poor replacement sword Finn had brought with him, and headed to the cathedral of Aquila, ready to finally end this.

As he neared the cathedral, he was stopped by a line of guards, nearly all of them had been trained by Blaine himself. He addressed the guards.

"As one who was your captain, and through God's grace, may be once again, I ask you to let me pass."

Trent, who sat in front of the others on a fine white horse, approached Blaine.

"Captain Anderson, I have my orders," he began to draw his knife, but Blaine was faster. He pushed Trent's hand aside, causing him to lose his hold on the knife and drew his own sword. Trent backed away and the other guards stood aside to let Blaine pass. They didn't know the story behind his departure, but they had respected him. He was their captain, and they would not contest him. He had their loyalty. If it came down to it, the guards would stand by him.

* * *

Thankful that the guards had moved to their posts after locking the doors, Sam made his way over to the cathedral doors and set to work on picking the locks.

Unfortunately, the locks were strong, and all he had to pick them was his small knife. He didn't realize how much noise he was actually making, but he had inadvertently attracted the attention of a guard.

When he saw the guard approach, sword at the ready, he hastened his efforts to unlock the door. After a strong hit to the lock that sent a spark of pain up his arm, he finally heard the lock release. He unbarred the doors, only barely getting the last one when he heard a horse on the other side.

Beast reared up onto her powerful hind legs and forced open the doors, causing everyone to look back as Blaine entered the room.

From the alter in the front, Sebastian looked down at the man. He didn't see the hawk, but Blaine would never be anywhere without him. Blaine would try to get his revenge, but Sebastian knew his guards were stronger. They would kill him, and the Bishop would send some men out to find the bird. Finally, Blaine Anderson was going to die. And Kurt would be his.


	12. A Night Without A Day

**Author's Note: Last chapter before the epilogue. Warning for character death of two people who deserve to go and awkward descriptions of a rather long fight.**

 **I also feel the need to apologize to Grant Gustin. I like him and I think he's gorgeous, but I hate Sebastian.**

 **Disclaimer: unfortunately, I don't own them.**

* * *

Blaine started forward with determination as he gazed at the man who had ruined, not only his life, but the life of Kurt and the lives of many innocent men and women who had the misfortune to be under his unjust rules. Beast's steps echoing throughout the grand cathedral. The clergymen stepping aside when it became obvious that he is not going to stop. He had almost reached the steps that led to the Bishop's alter when he heard another horse coming through the cathedral doors.

"Anderson!" Shouted Hunter. Blaine turned around, quick as a flash, holding his sword aloft. As Hunter lowered the visor on his own helmet, they prepared to charge.

Beast reared up onto her hind legs before racing forward at a gallop, Clarington following her lead on his magnificent white horse. The members of the clergy were scampering to hide behind pillars, hoping to be able to watch without risk of injury. The former Captain of the guards met Hunter in the middle of the cathedral with a powerful clash of their swords. They were well matched in strength and skill. Clarington had years of hatred on his side, but that was no match for the determination Blaine held.

Their horses met once more, the blow Blaine had dealt to Hunter's sword nearly dislodged the Captain from his extravagant horse. When they connected once more, Blaine didn't wait to turn Beast around. The two warriors rode their horses up the stairs to the alter, not stopping their fight.

Hunter Backed away down the stars, Blaine following closely. So close, in fact, that when Hunter's horse reared up onto his hind legs, all it took was a simple nudge from Beast to force the other creature to the ground, Hunter falling off on the way down. Without missing a step, the horse forced itself back up and Hunter jumped on top of him.

The men went behind the pillars, each on opposite sides of the cathedral, causing the people cowering there to scurry out of the way. The met in front of the doors, where Blaine, once again delivered a powerful blow to Hunter's sword, causing him to lose his sword, and fall off his horse once more. He fell hard and rolled into a pillar. As Blaine approached, Hunter pulled off his helmet and threw it with all of his force. Blaine ducked, and the helmet went through a large stained glass window instead, shattering it.

Hunter didn't give up, and he simply grabbed ahold of Blaine around the waist and pulled him off Beast. Blaine was tired of all of these interruptions. He delivered a powerful punch to Hunter's stomach and threw him aside. Blaine picked up his sword and started towards Sebastian. He disarmed guards who tried to stop him without blinking, his focus solely on the Bishop.

As he was, once again, climbing the steps to the Bishop's alter, he was tackled from behind. Hunter had regained his breath and was even more determined than ever to kill Blaine. He forced him onto his back before raising his sword above his head. Blaine was quick, however, and lifted his own in defense, effectively blocking the blow. He kicked Hunter off of him and was about to go and finish him off when something from the broken window caught his eye.

The moon was slowly moving in front of the sun.

Blaine took off his helmet in shock as he stared at the impossible sight in front of him.

"Night without a day. Day without a night," he whispered softly, finally understanding. He heard movement behind him and turned to see the Bishop finally moving from behind his alter and staring through the window in shock. Blaine ignored him and started for the doors, "Finn! Wait!" he yelled, even though he knew the tall man wouldn't be able to hear him.

However, he had forgotten Hunter. The man jumped in front of him with a yell. Blaine lunged and rammed his body into the other man's stomach, knocking him back a few feet. This time, though Hunter held onto him and retaliated with a harsh blow to the spine. Blaine cried out in pain and was pushed aside with a strong hit to the gut. Hunter lunged, but Blaine recovered quickly. He dodged the blow Hunter had attempted and lifted his own sword. Blaine and Hunter looked each other in the eyes.

"You're dead," Blaine promised quietly. Hunter only scoffed, before releasing a cry and raising his sword. Blaine blocked the blow and waited as Clarington raced towards him. He ducked down, so the man ran into his shoulder and pushed him to the floor. Blaine was about to deliver the final blow when he saw something that made him stop cold.

A guard was going to ring the bells. The same bells that would signal Blaine's failure. If those bells rang…Finn would kill Kurt. Blaine quickly pulled a knife out of its scabbard and through it at the guard, hitting him in the stomach. The man fell, while holding onto the rope. The rope was tugged harshly, but not enough to ring the bells.

Thinking that his Kurt was safe, Blaine turned his attention back to Hunter, who had stood back up while Blaine had been distracted. The dark-haired man didn't care though, he forced him back to the ground and was ready to kill when he heard a sound that shattered his heart.

The bells were ringing.

"Stop!" he shouted, desperately, as loud as he possibly could but to no avail. The bells just continued to ring. He closed his eyes, knowing that the sounds of the bells were the signal to the death of Blaine's heart.

Blaine leaned against the doorway to the cathedral. He whispered quietly to himself, trying to hold back tears, "Finn…make it quick. Please. Make it quick." Blaine said nothing more as he turned back to Hunter. He would complete his mission. He had nothing more to fight for but his want for revenge. Kurt's would not be the only death today, but he would be the only innocent one lost.

With that thought in mind, he attacked Hunter with even more force. Anger and grief behind his movements. Hunter fought back just as hard, and with Blaine's mind clouded with sadness, the Captain of the guards was able to push him to the ground, making him lose his sword. Hunter pointed his own sword at Blaine, a smug expression on his face. This hesitation was enough for Blaine to prepare to move. When Hunter lunged forward, Blaine rolled to the side and up onto his back, throwing his legs into the air and kicking Hunter, hard in the side, throwing him off balance.

While this all had been going on, Sam had gone to the wagon Finn had parked by the great north wall and grabbed the sword that they had hidden underneath the bed of wagon two nights ago, hiding it under the robe he had stolen. He made his way back into the cathedral in time to see Blaine lose his sword. He pulled it out of his robe and pushed it over to Blaine, hoping he would notice.

Blaine didn't pay any attention. He knocked the sword out of Hunter's hands and pushed him facedown to the floor, sliding his family's sword over to the steps to the Bishop's alter. Blaine grabbed onto the back of Hunter's neck and squeezed, pulling his head up and delivering a painful punch to the face. Hunter retaliated and scrambled to his feet. He aimed a kick at Blaine's face but the other man grabbed his foot before it could make contact, sending him to the ground, once more. This move, unfortunately, sent Blaine down as well with the force of Hunter's fall. Distracting him long enough for Hunter to stand and retrieve his fallen sword.

Hunter walked to Blaine, steps purposeful, as the fallen man was crawling backwards to the steps of the alter. He slowly raised his sword and brought it down with a yell as Blaine rolled towards Hunter and then back as the sword tip connected hard with the ground. As he rolled backwards, the weight of his body on the sword pulled it from Hunter's hands, and pulled Hunter himself down, making him fall.

Hunter didn't notice Blaine grab his sword as he stood up and lunged forward again, but he did notice when it sheathed itself in his stomach. He cried out in pain and shock as he fell to the ground. Blaine waited until he was sure the man would not be getting up again, before looking away from the dead body of Hunter Clarington.

Something else caught his eye, however. He immediately recognized the jeweled hilt of his sword. Blaine looked over to the pillars, where he saw a stone-faced Sam give a small nod of acknowledgment.

With the familiar weight of his sword in hand, he stood with renewed energy, and walked up the stairs to the Bishop. When he was waylaid by one of the Bishop's guards, he dealt two blows and then threw him head first into a nearby pillar, pushing a candelabrum onto the guard for good measure. When he was certain the guard was not going to bother him again, he turned to look at the man who had ruined his life, and inadvertently brought about the death of the most perfect man in the world.

Sebastian watched Blaine. His face was arrogant, but there was a flicker of fear in his sickening green eyes. He looked Blaine in the eyes and spoke, "But kill _me_ Anderson; and the curse will go on forever," His voice was smug and his lips were twisted into a smirk, "We must think of Kurt."

Blaine scoffed out an unamused laugh, before saying the words that he had never even wanted to think, "Kurt…is _dead_."

He relished at the shocked look on the Bishop's face, "Damn you," he said shaking his head, "Damn you to Hell."

As he raised his sword, he was interrupted by the sweet voice he had nearly forgotten.

"Blaine," came the shaky cry from the cathedral doors. Blaine froze and the entire room turned to see who had caused him to stop moving.

Blaine didn't believe his ears. He turned to look at the beautiful man who had stopped moving halfway into the room. Blaine nearly believed that Hunter had actually killed him and that he was in Heaven. He wanted to cry and run to him, but…

Blaine wasted no more time as he grabbed the Bishop and forced him to the ground. The man had covered his eyes at the sight of Kurt, but Blaine wasn't going to stand for that.

"Look at him," he demanded, raising the Bishop onto his knees, "Look at him!" Sebastian slowly lowered his hands and took in the sight of the man he had loved to madness. He was not allowed to look for long, however, as Blaine forced his head away, and pointed his sword to the man's evil heart. He wasn't going to let this disgusting man look at Kurt any longer than necessary, "Look at me!" he spat out. When Sebastian had looked at Blaine for a few seconds, Blaine backed away, but did not lower his sword. He walked backwards down the stairs, maintaining eye contact with the Bishop, "Now…look at us," when Sebastian's eyes didn't look away from Blaine's, he demanded, "Look at us!"

Sebastian tore his eyes away and allowed both of the men into his line of sight. They had stood before him, as men.

Finn, who had come in with Kurt, but moved to stand with Sam, sighed in relief, resting a large hand onto the blonde's shoulder, "It's over…it's broken," he had never been so happy to say anything in his life. Nor had he ever been so sure of anything.

Blaine forgot about the Bishop and turned to look at Kurt, who was hesitantly approaching. As he walked closer, Blaine fell to his knees.

Kurt wasn't trying to hold back his tears as he walked to the man he loved. He wanted desperately to say something, to ask Blaine if this was real, but he couldn't find his voice. His heart was filled with love and he needed to touch Blaine. If he could finally touch him…all of the hurt from the past two years would be fixed.

Kurt finally reached him, but when he held out his hands, one open, the other clutching something in a fist, he couldn't touch him. He couldn't stand to reach out and discover that this had only been a dream.

Blaine, who had not moved from his kneeling position, did not hesitate as he placed his hand on the closed fist of his lover. Kurt inhaled sharply before gently putting his other hand over Blaine's. Blaine's eyes, which had closed at the first touch of Kurt's soft skin, opened again when his love pulled away and opened his fist. He had been holding the hawk's hood and leash.

Kurt stared at them for a second, before raising his eyes into a cool glare at the Bishop. He set his jaw before walking over to him.

Sebastian had not stopped staring at Kurt ever since the curse had broken. He did not dare to blink as the man he still wanted approached him. Unforgiving blue eyes stared into dull green. The Bishop looked up at the perfect face, features hard and eyes cold. Kurt didn't break eye contact as he slowly unclenched his fist and held out the symbols of his inhumanity for the evil man to see. As he dropped them at his feet the message was clear.

 _'_ _You don't control me. You can't touch me. And now, you can't touch us. Or what we have. You lost.'_

After another second, Kurt turned away. He could finally allow himself to embrace Blaine. He was too emotionally exhausted to hear the Bishop. He picked up with staff and released the knife on the end. Lifting it like a spear, he prepared to attack Kurt.

"No man shall!" he cried.

Blaine heard Finn's warning, but he didn't need it. As soon as the Bishop had spoken, he had grabbed his sword and thrown it, just as he had when Sam had tried to leave. Only this time, instead of a tree, the sword made its home in the body of Bishop Sebastian Smythe; the force pushing his body back and impaling him on his own alter. The man died with a final whisper of Kurt's name on his lips.

Kurt walked over to Blaine and helped him stand up. They could finally breathe, knowing that he was dead. The two men walked, hand in hand away from the body of the man who had caused them so much pain and grief. They were halfway to the cathedral doors when Kurt stopped walking. Blaine turned to him. The pale man was laughing and crying as he reached his hand up to caress Blaine's perfect face, the other hand still tightly entwined with his lover's.

"Oh my God," he said in disbelief. Even with the sun shining down on the two of them, Kurt was having a hard time comprehending that it was really over. Blaine just smiled and pressed a gentle kiss to Kurt's fingertips. Deciding that that was not enough, he leaned in to press his lips to Kurt's.

As Kurt felt the first soft touch of Blaine's lips, he melted. For the first time in two years, all was right. He was complete. Blaine's arms wrapped around him and held him close to his body. The kiss was chaste, but still showed the passion for each other that had never faded during their separation. They only separated when it became necessary to breathe.

Blaine could not repress a shiver when he felt Kurt's lips. This man was perfection in all of its glory, and even when they separated, he could feel the broken pieces of him putting themselves together again.

As they separated, the two men could only look at each other. Committing each other to memory once again. Blaine took in Kurt's flawless features. The face that had been soft when they had been taken from each other two years ago, was now sharp and defined. Something that stood out to him, however, was the scar on the side of his neck. A permanent reminder of the night Sebastian had cursed them. It broke his heart to see the mark of such an evil man on Kurt's beautiful skin, but in time, that scar would serve as a reminder to them of all they had gone through to be with each other.

Kurt couldn't stop smiling, even threw the tears that were still pouring down his face. He took in the exotic features of the man he loved more than anything else in this world. His smile grew when he looked at the large triangular eyebrows that were the perfect accessory to the most beautiful eyes in all of creation.

Kurt released a shaky laugh and Blaine pecked his lips again before whispering the three words they both desperately needed to hear.

"I love you."

Kurt never had a chance to respond. Blaine pressed his lips to his once again and all other thoughts were driven from his head.

"Kurt," Blaine whispered, lovingly, after pulling away slightly.

"Blaine," Kurt responded, softly, pulling Blaine's head back into a kiss. This one was brief as they wrapped their arms around each other in a strong hug. Each one feeling safe in the familiar arms of the man they loved.

When Kurt's eye caught sight of something over Blaine's shoulder, he pulled away. Blaine turned to see what he was looking at and saw the two men who had done so much to help them. They had been walking to the doors when Blaine called out to them.

"You two!" when he had their attention, his voice softened, "Come here."

Sam and Finn approached the two reunited lovers. Finn nearly cried when Blaine lifted up one of his arms, the other was wrapped securely around Kurt's waist, and rested his hand on Finn's shoulder in a sign of gratitude. He kept his head, however, and simply said, "May God's blessing be with you from this day onwards."

Blaine smiled at him, "I bless the day He brought you back to us Finn," Finn smiled down at Blaine. Their relationship was not, and would probably never be, at the level of trust and friendship it had been before the curse, but they were both willing to try for each other. Blaine looked at Sam, "And you…and you," he said nothing else, only pulling Sam closer into a hug. Once Sam was released, his hand was taken by Kurt who looked into his eyes and finished what Blaine would never be able to say.

"The truest friend we could ever have," he said sweetly, before placing a gentle kiss on Sam's cheek, "Thank you," Kurt whispered to him before pulling away.

Finn smiled and tugged Sam to the cathedral doors. The assembled clergymen had left when the Bishop had been murdered, so Kurt and Blaine were left in peace. They smiled at each other when they heard the conversation Sam and Finn were having as they walked away.

"I would like to see you at the pearly gates, little thief. Don't you _dare_ disappoint me."

"I'll meet you there, Father…even if I have to pick the lock," and with that, the two left the cathedral.

With a roll of his eyes at their silly conversation, Kurt looked back to Blaine. He saw the mischievous look in his eyes, but wasn't prepared when Blaine wrapped his strong arms around Kurt's waist, and lifted the pale man above his head. Kurt let out a surprised scream of laughter as he wrapped his own arms around Blaine's neck for safety. He didn't need to worry, though. Blaine would never let him fall.

"Kurt!" Blaine yelled out, simply because he could. He never wanted to stop saying the name. Kurt tilted his head back and let loose the most beautiful laugh Blaine had ever heard. As the dark-haired man began to spin them around, Kurt cried out, "I love you, I love you!"

Blaine laughed as he continued to twirl the two around the empty cathedral, the musical sound of Kurt's laughter joining his in a perfect duet.

The Bishop was dead. The curse finally broken. And as Kurt allowed Blaine to spin them around the cathedral, he felt like he was flying for the first time in his life.


	13. Epilogue

**Author's Note: Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who read this. And a quick thank you to LvSammy and Fitzpatrick86 for their reviews. They made me very happy. Also thank you to my sister, Klainepotter621 for finding time to read this between working on her own story and constantly asking when I was going to update. It was very encouraging. I just wrote this epilogue because I feel like there are some things that the movie doesn't answer. Such as; why aren't Sam and Blaine arrested? Do they stay in Aquila? Does Blaine become captain again? This is my idea of what happens next.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the story of Ladyhawke, or the characters from Glee  
**

* * *

It had been nearly a year since the curse had been broken. The guards had reinstated Blaine as their Captain. He had always had their loyalty, and now he had their gratitude for ridding the region of the evil Bishop and the cruel Captain.

Finn had moved out of his self-imposed exile and back into Aquila. Sam was still a wanted fugitive, but he stayed with Finn and pretended to be a friar. It wasn't ideal, but it kept him from the dungeons.

Finn had received word from Rome that a new Bishop was due to arrive any day now. Rome had not taken any action against Blaine. When the clergymen had given witness of what had happened, they decided God had been on the side of the two men, rather than the wicked man who had sold his soul.

* * *

Sam was walking with Kurt when they heard a commotion coming from the gates.

"Hell to the no, I am telling you that I am the new Bishop. Just read the letter I have from Rome if you don't believe me."

When the two men approached, they were struck with the sight of a lovely young dark skinned woman. Sam thought she was beautiful. The guards had sent for Blaine, and he read the letter confirming her identity.

"I apologize for this inconvenience, Your Grace. We were not aware that you were arriving today. My name is Captain Blaine Anderson. Please allow me to escort you to the Cathedral," Blaine said, with his most charming smile.

"It's fine, baby. I'm Mercedes Jones, recently appointed Bishop."

Sam snapped out of his trance when he saw Kurt moving towards the two and he raced forward to join him. Blaine saw Kurt coming and a large smile split his face.

"Your Grace," he said when Kurt had reached them, "this is my husband, Kurt Hummel. And our dear friend Sam."

Before Kurt could offer a greeting, he was pushed aside by Sam who offered an arm to the new Bishop.

"May I escort you, m'lady?" Kurt and Blaine exchanged a look at the odd accent that Sam adopted, but shrugged it off when Mercedes accepted with a smile. Blaine smiled and offered his own arm to his beautiful husband.

"May I escort _you_ , good Sir?" he asked with a teasing grin.

Kurt responded with a shy smile and a light blush, "Yes, yes you may."

The quartet walked to the cathedral. The three men were positive that this woman would make a powerful change in their lives, as well as the lives of the people of Aquila.

And as Kurt walked, arm in arm with the man he loved, behind his best friend and a woman who seemed amazing, he was happy.

They were together, they were happy. Kurt smiled at himself as he thought, _"When you stop and think about it, Kurt Hummel's had a pretty good year."_


End file.
